Learning To Love
by VanillaAshes
Summary: When Natasha agreed to go Undercover as Steve's Girlfriend, she never imagined it would lead her to agreeing to actually be Steve's Girlfriend. Romanogers. Co-Writer: ThisVioletofMine.
1. Pancakes

**Author's Note:**

 **Welcome!**

 **This is a sequel to: Undercover As Steve's Girlfriend. I highly recommend you read it first, but if don't want to that's fine, but you may be a tad confused!**

 **Co-Writer: ThisVioletofMine, of as I call her; Sailor!**

 **The category has changed to 'Avengers' instead of 'Captain America' so I could select different characters :)**

 **Let's get straight to it!**

* * *

Natasha pushed herself up off of her bed and walked into her bathroom. She took pain medication- not that she'd let anybody else know. Before following her normal routine after that- foregoing the shower- and ended up standing in the middle of the gym, doing nothing.

So much had changed in one day- she had nearly gotten herself blown up, had convinced Clint to go home, even though she had desperately wanted him to stay with her and help with her injuries, she decided to stay at the Avengers Tower instead of going to Clint and Laura's, which was like her home, and, most scarily, had agreed to start a relationship with Steve.

Her agreeing to date Steve was an impulsive thing; there wasn't a solid reason for her not to go out with him. She hadn't meant to do it, but it had just felt right. She decided that she was going to give this a shot- a real, honest open shot- like she had attempted with Bruce. Even though she was confident it'd end with him running for the hills, like Bruce, she wasn't going to back down.

"Hey, Natasha." Steve greeted warmly as he walked through the door. "What are you doing in here? You're supposed to resting."

She turned and looked at him. "Morning. I _am_ resting- I just came here automatically."

He nodded. "I see." His expression then melted ever so slightly into something a little more insecure. "Natasha? You're not regretting agreeing to a relationship, are you?"

"Not yet," Natasha replied automatically. Her expression didn't change, but she cringed internally at the cold response. "I didn't change my mind." She added, her tone more softer and warmer.

"Oh. Good!" Steve answered, a little happier than before. "I'm sure you won't regret it!" He seemed so confident in this.

"I think I'll make my own decision on that matter," Natasha informed him. "What did you want to do today as a couple? Obviously I can't train."

"Well, we could… Eat out? Doesn't have to be fancy, just something edible and… out." He suggested.

Natasha tilted her head at him- damn, she hated to reject his first suggestion. "Sitting in a car right now is not the best idea, and don't get me started on going on a motorcycle- we'll have to stay on base; unless you wanted to walk."

"I could pick something up and bring it back, if you'd like- you shouldn't be walking such long distances."

"The nearest place is at least a thirty minute drive. How about I just cook for us?" Natasha suggested. She noted the time. "How about pancakes, or a full english breakfast, or waffles?" She said, listing a variety of breakfasts. She wondered who knew she could cook- probably just Clint, Laura and the kids.

Steve's stomach gave a little rumble and he smiled in embarrassment. "Pancakes sound great, actually- I would love to try your cooking, too!"

"Did you want to train?" Natasha asked him, not wanting to pull him away from it. She loved training and would do it right now if she wasn't concerned about letting herself heal.

He shook his head emphatically. "No, I can do it later- I've got all day, basically. Besides, why should I train on an empty stomach?" He asked with a rather goofy smile. "I'll help you cook, if you want." Steve began leading her out the door.

"I'll do all the cooking," Natasha spoke as she walked past him, sending him a smile. "I don't trust anybody to help me after Clint tried… he's a good cook, but we butted heads."

Steve laughed. "That sounds hilarious! Did you catch it on video?"

Natasha smirked. "It's currently in the capable hands of Cooper- ready for future blackmailing." She headed down the hallway towards the kitchen.

Steve laughed again and followed her into the kitchen, pulling out a few of the things she'd need before sitting on a stool at the counter.

Natasha picked up a knife and threw it into the air, catching it expertly before placing it on the counter- she didn't actually need a knife, but it was fun. She got out eggs, milk and flour, deciding to make crepes instead; they were healthier. "Any preferences?" She asked, breaking the first egg.

"No, I'm not too picky when it comes to food." He replied, watching her with interest. "How long have you been cooking for?"

Natasha looked at him, deep in thought; how long _had_ she been cooking? She used to be creative as a child when she was sneaking additional food, making it more interesting for herself- but when had she started? "I can't think of a specific age; it just came naturally me." She answered as she added in the other ingredients and began whisking the mixture.

"Ah- you're very talented!" Steve complimented.

She turned on the hob, watching the fire dance around for a second before taking out a frying pan. "Thank you. Do you cook?"

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I've tried a few times- key word being 'tried'. I can make eggs, and that's about it."

"I guess, coming from the forties, you could just expect every woman to know how to cook and… would expect them to wait at home for you with dinner on the table when you got home from work," Natasha spoke, pouring some mixture into the pan and turning her back to him. "You know, when you got married."

He looked contemplative for a moment. "Well, considering I was never married in the forties, no, I never learned to expect dinner on the table when I got home from getting beaten up or, after the procedure, super-soldiering."

Natasha turned to look at him for a moment. "I can't imagine you as a skinny little boy- I've seen the files and a picture… but still." She admitted honestly. "Did the serum change you? I mean, besides the physical changes?"

"Not really- not directly, at least. The pride and temporary cockiness I developed from suddenly being bigger than everyone else could be considered an indirect effect, I suppose." He answered sincerely. "Are you sure you don't need any help with that?" He asked, gesturing to the food she was still preparing.

"It's pancakes- I can manage it," Natasha replied, flipping the pancake. "And I think you have a right to be cocky, I mean…" She paused, turning around to look at him. "Did your cock get bigger?"

Steve, of course, had intelligently chosen that moment to take a sip of water, and consequently spent the next few moments choking insanely. " _What.. the hell… why would you-_ " He gasped between coughs, face purple.

"Nevermind," Natasha giggled, flipping the pancake onto a plate and handing it to him. "Would you like any sugar or syrup with that?" She asked flirtatiously.

Steve sucked in a huge gulp of oxygen before replying, " _Syrup, please_." His voice was a dull croak and his cheeks were still fiery red.

Natasha placed it on the table next to him before making a pile of them, placing them between them and eating some for herself. "Did you want me to stop asking questions like that? I can- we can keep the conversations civilised and…" She paused, trying to think of exactly what a normal relationship would entail. "Make out at night."

If his face had been red before, it was now two seconds from bursting into flames or imploding. "Th-that's not- Why do you love doing this to me?" He whimpered pathetically.

"Wait… Making out is literally the only thing I am certain you do in a relationship-I presumed you wouldn't want to have sex yet, being all.. noble and stuff."

"Uh- yeah… Can we talk about something else, please?" He requested.

Natasha thought for a moment; the only other conversation she could really engage in was about her job. But Steve had made it clear that that wasn't relationship talk. She was really at a loss about what they were supposed to talk about. Thankfully, he spoke.

"This is amazing, Natasha!"

"Thanks," Natasha shrugged. There was a comfortable silence between them as they ate, but as time went by, it was more strained. She decided to speak up before he had to. "What are you planning for the rest of the week?"

Steve chewed his pancake thoughtfully before answering, "Not too much- I've got training every day, and on Friday I'm needed for some special training with Rhodey, but other than that, I'm free."

Natasha finished her mouthful. "Great, we can hang out. But for now, how about I observe your cooking skills?" She smirked at him; there was still some mixture left, enough for two pancakes at least. It would be interesting to see his skillset in this area.

"I guess I could give it a try." He acquiesced. He went to the stove and began pouring the batter into the pan. "How many do you want?"

"One at a time-not that much mixture!" Natasha cringed. "Maybe just one more," she decided.

"One more, coming up!" He exclaimed with exaggeration after correcting his mistake and slowing the pour of batter. "Hey, Natasha- want to go to an actual movie theater to watch a movie? If you're free, that is?"

"Can't head out anywhere until my back heals up a bit, unless you wanted to walk," Natasha reminded him, watching him make the pancake intently. "Pay attention to what you're doing."

He frowned. "Ah, that's right- I forgot! Sorry, when you're busy you tend to forget things. Also, you're freakishly good at hiding the fact that your back is a painful, burned mess."

"It's not _that_ painful," Natasha lied to him; her back was inflamed and constantly burning. "We could just watch a movie later- no need to leave the base."

Steve turned and offered her a smile. "Our relationship is totally based on movie-watching." He teased, absentmindedly poking at the forming pancake with the spatula. "But that sounds nice. If you make something for us to eat while we watch it, that is." He winked and turned back to the stove. The frown returned. "Was I supposed to re-apply the nonstick spray?" The question almost seemed guilty.

"That would have been advisable… just use the spatula to pry it off; it'll be fine." Natasha peered over his shoulder; she was not looking forward to eating that pancake already.

"I'm trying… It's fused to the pan!" He cried, putting more force into it. "Is this even physically possible? It's not budging-!" He put one final burst of strength into his efforts and was rewarded- somewhat. The spatula snapped in two as the half of the blackened pancake detached from the pan- and due to his strength and the angle, the hotcake went flying across the room and out the window, falling two storeys to the ground. Steve's eyes were wide and his body was completely frozen in shock.

Natasha had to hold back a laugh, not getting up to help. "Maybe I'll teach you how to boil water… take the pan off the hob before you burn it any more." She told him casually, an amused smile on her lips. At least she didn't have to eat it.

Steve hadn't appeared to hear her, however, as he hurriedly crossed the room. "Do you hear that? Someone's yelling!" He cautiously leaned his head out the window and peered down at the ground. "Oh my-! Sam's poor face!" He exclaimed before cupping his hands around his mouth, "Sorry! Did it break any bones?" He called.

"What the hell, man?" Came the shouted and furious reply. Steve winced and ducked back inside before any projectiles could be launched in retaliation.

"I said I was sorry!"

Natasha walked over and poked her head out. "You're supposed to be training. Next time I catch you slacking, there'll be bigger consequences than a pancake to the face." She shouted, watching Sam nod obediently and run off- she then turned to Steve. "Did you want to sort out that fire?" She asked casually.

He blinked stupidly. "That _what_?" Then he turned and, seeing the formidable flame sprouting from the other half of the offending pancake, left on the stove, he shouted several expletives and sprinted back to deal with it. "Why didn't _you_ do anything?" He demanded of Natasha as he broke out the fire extinguisher.

"I've just burnt my back, I didn't want to get burnt again," Natasha replied casually, walking back over but keeping her distance. She wasn't _scared of_ getting burnt again, but didn't want to have to _deal_ with another injury right now- and she knew that Steve would heal fast if he did get injured.

Steve grunted and started spraying the base of the fire with foam. "Still, you could've said something!" He argued.

"I told you to take it off of the stove- you didn't listen to me," Natasha pointed out. Typical men- they never listened.

Once the fire had been successfully extinguished, Steve looked at the charred and foamy kitchen with embarrassment. "Well, I think it's safe to call this breakfast a failure." He sighed and began cleaning up.

"I'll call Stark and let him know about the fire- he'll get it sorted," Natasha told him, slipping out her phone. She glanced at him, seeing him nod before walking from the room.

After dropping a quick text to Tony, she dialed Laura. She needed some advice- some proper advice.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading :D I have some plans for this story, but if you'd like to see anything happen, let me know :D**


	2. Advice

**Author's Note:**

 **Holy Macaroni! Thirteen reviews! Woah, still unbelievable! So, a huge, massive thank you to: RomanogerLaucifer; supesfan18; Sportsfan64; Amy Hamato; princess2015; Guest; Sanctuaria; Baibe; Nat; Fangirl of Fitness; Maniac at Midnight; Hero Pilot; NataliaRussiaA.**

 **Without any ado; here's the next chapter :D**

* * *

Natasha continued to walk until she was outside of the building as the phone rang. Finally, after five rings, someone answered.

"Hey, Nat!" Clint answered brightly.

Natasha groaned. "Not _you_! Put Laura on." She demanded.

Clint made an undignified noise and handed the phone to his wife, grumbling.

"Hey, Nat- everything okay?" Laura asked kindly, seeming a lot more patient than Clint.

"No." She answered as she wandered away from the base, needing to distance herself in an attempt at privacy. "I'm confused; I need some advice."

"Give me a second and then you'll have my full atten-"

"Noooo!" Clint complained in the background.

"My full attention," Laura stated.

Natasha smirked at obviously interrupting the two of them. She heard some shuffling- what she presumed would be Laura getting dressed.

"Okay, advice for what?"

She took a breath. "Relationships. What does that mean now? He doesn't want to make out or anything, and I really don't know what he wants."

"Relationship with…?"

"Steve."

"Right." Laura muttered. "What exactly are you confused about?" She asked.

Natasha knew she had to clarify, but, if she were honest with herself, she didn't know what she was confused about. She allowed herself a few seconds to think before replying, "What's the difference between being friends with somebody and being in a relationship-apart from the obvious 'it's not appropriate to make out and have sex if you're not in a relationship' part?"

There was silence over the phone for a few seconds before Laura spoke with confidence. "A relationship is just an extension of a friendship. It's the next level on the ladder. Acquaintances, friends, best friends, dating, in love, engaged, married."

"In that order?" Natasha asked.

"Usually. But it's not uncommon to skip some stages or be at different stages… apart from the marriage part, of course. That would happen at the same time."

"What about the being engaged part?" Natasha inquired- not that she was anywhere near that stage; in fact, that hadn't even entered her mind.

"Some people say that when the man buys the ring, he is committed to being engaged and so he's already entered that stage."

"I don't think you're helping me, Laura… maybe I'll have Clint back," Natasha decided.

Laura laughed. "There we go. That's what a relationship is like. I know you and Clint aren't romantically involved-just remember from when you first met to getting to this stage. How did you do that?"

"It just happened. We were partners…"

"Then let it happen. Talk to him, share stories about your past, spend time together. Do what you usually would do- just this time, do it together." Laura told her before throwing some more advice at her. "Don't stress the labels too much."

"I already agreed to 'officially date' him, so it's too late," Natasha muttered sarcastically.

Laura laughed again and Natasha tried to work out what she'd said to get such a reaction. "Don't stress it, now. Yes, you've agreed to date him, but don't make too much effort about using it in a sentence. If he wants to talk about it, he'll bring it up- just act normal."

"Are you kidding? Just act normal? That's your advice?" Natasha questioned. "Put Clint on, please."

"Super-spies are so hard to please."

"Well, you do walk out of the bedroom halfway through sex," Natasha commented casually, a smirk playing at her lips at the thought of Clint being denied sex.

"We weren't mid-way… we…" Laura drifted off and there was a second of silence. "She wants you."

"Hello," Clint greeted happily as he accepted the phone. "I knew it was me you really wanted."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "I'll talk to you another time. Give the kids a hug and kiss from me."

"Sure thing. Don't forget to rest."

"You too; you're getting old," Natasha replied before hanging up; she couldn't work out if that had helped or not. She thought over Laura's words, which sounded an awful lot like, 'just continue being friends but call it a relationship'- did that even make sense? Why couldn't Steve just want to have sex? She was good at that. She let out a frustrated groan before walking around the compound, not bothering to jog or run. She eventually headed back inside.

* * *

Steve was jogging around the compound for some extra and well-needed exercise; he had been itching to run for a few hours and was only now getting the chance to do it. The sun had finally risen, he had an hour before training, and he had just figured out the music player Stark had introduced him to so he could listen to music as he went. He came to a stop when a cushion hit his head, coming from the direction of the base.

"What the-?" He exclaimed, taking out an earbud and turning to face whoever had thrown the cushion. "Why did you do that?"

Natasha shrugged innocently. "I want to talk. Are you free now?" She called from the window she was leaning out of.

He paused the song he'd been listening to and groaned. "Really? Right now? I was just going to- ah, nevermind. I'll be up in a second." He started trudging to the door.

"If you're busy, we can talk another time," Natasha offered as she intently watched him.

He raised his arm in surrender as he continued walking. "Forget it- too late now. You pulled me out of the zone."

She disappeared back into her room.

When Steve got there, she was casually dressed with her hair uncharacteristically up in a ponytail. She let him in and sat down on the couch. "Nice run?"

He plopped down in a nearby chair and let out a large exhale. "Yeah- all three minutes of it." He chuckled before leaning forward. "What did you want to talk about?" Had he done something wrong? Was she having regrets? Was she going to schedule _more_ training for Wanda? She mentioned before how her training kept getting interrupted.

Natasha slipped her phone out and looked at the screen before giving him her attention. "What is your earliest childhood memory?"

Steve did a double-take at the unexpected question. "Wait, what? Why are you asking?"

"To talk. I can start," Natasha decided and continued without giving him a chance to reply. "My earliest memory is from… when I was about eleven, I think. I was sparring with another girl and I knew she had lost a match earlier, and that would mean serious consequences. So I let her win, and she had me by the neck- the coach gave her the go-ahead to snap it. I didn't want to die, so I snapped hers five seconds later. Your turn."

He blinked. "I- My earliest memory would be…" He sorted through them all in his mind. "I think it would be playing ball with one of my friends when I was… six? Yeah, six. I remember he hit the ball right into someone's window, and we ran for almost four blocks, we were so scared!" He smiled a bit at the happy memory.

Natasha smiled. "That's sweet. Was that with Bucky?"

"No, I met Bucky a few weeks after that, actually. I think this kid's name was Frederick."

Natasha nodded. "That sounds nice." She glanced at her phone again. "Who was your first kiss?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Um- technically it would have been Nancy Davis, in kindergarten- and I only know that much because my mother teased me about it for years. What about… What about you?" Where was this going?

She looked confused for a split second. "My first kiss… I don't know." She looked back at her phone and scrolled down. "What are your ambitions in life?"

"Easy- to save the world and continue Captain America-ing. It's kind of a career." He answered immediately; it appeared she was going to ask him a series of questions, and he had no clue why- but what's the harm in answering them anyway?

Natasha scoffed. "Same… or, at least, to just stay alive. What would you define as cheating?"

"Cheating at what?" Steve asked, confused.

"Relationship cheating… so if I kissed somebody else, would you consider that as cheating? Or if I touched their arm?" Natasha clarified.

 _Oh._ "Well, I like to think I'm not a possessive person when it comes to relationships, so touching someone's arm is fine. Kissing? Well, I understand that, sometimes, in your super-spying, you're required to go undercover as a girlfriend or to flirt- I guess it's okay as long as you're not kissing them with the intent to actually have a romantic bond with them or something. As long as it's not outside of something that you _have_ to do." He explained, though internally he was slightly suspicious. "Why? Are you seeing someone else?"

"No. I presumed when you wanted a relationship that it would be exclusive. So you're the only person I'm dating right now," Natasha answered. "And, in regards to cheating, I don't want you flirting or kissing or sleeping with anybody else."

He offered a smile. "I wouldn't dream of it." It was sincere, and he hoped she knew that.

"Good," Natasha replied genuinely as she smiled at him. She looked back down at the phone, smirking. "You wouldn't _believe_ how many questions there are about different levels of sexual activity."

"That's- uh, that's lovely…" He muttered sarcastically. It seemed like she had a daily quota for how many times she needed to make him uncomfortable.

"I'm not asking them, am I?" She pointed out. "If you're having a bad day, would you want me to leave you alone or spend time with you and cheer you up?"

That one brightened his mood in and of itself, just thinking about the obvious answer. "Well, I hate feeling bad, so I'd love to be cheered up. I mean, well, that time with P-" He paused. "Unless someone's died, I would really appreciate your company." He purposely avoided discussing the death of his old girlfriend- it still hurt.

"So, if Bucky died, you'd want me to leave you alone?" Natasha bluntly asked for clarification.

Steve didn't like thinking about his best friend dying at all, but answered the question anyway- she deserved to know. "I think that, for the first few days, I'd want to be left alone to deal with things on my own- but after that, yes, some cheering up would be most appreciated."

"Understood," Natasha confirmed. She looked at her phone, once again, before looking back at him. "Do you have question you'd like to ask?"

He thought long and hard over that one- there were a lot, but not many of them seemed that important. "Yes, uh- what's your opinion on marriage? Not to sound pressuring or anything- just for future reference, should I need to know this." He hurried to add.

"I'm not against marriage- it's a big commitment, but I'm not against it."

Internally he grinned widely- that was something he liked to hear. Trying not to sound _too_ overly affected by her answer, he asked hurriedly, "Did you get a real education- grade school, high school, college? So far I've only heard of a super-secret spy place, so I have no idea how you were taught."

Natasha put her phone to the side. "I… Everything I know… I don't remember anything before the Red Room. I never went to a proper school; I was taught what normal children were taught- I think. Never went to college. My childhood _was_ about the… super-secret-spy stuff." She answered honestly, looking directly at him.

Steve wondered what exactly this 'Red Room' was; he'd heard her mention it several times, but by the way she spoke of it, he got the feeling that asking about it was opening old wounds- so he swallowed his curiosity and thought of a different question. "Do you play any instruments? I used to play a mean trumpet back in my school days." He winced as he unintentionally brought up the topic of education again.

She shook her head. "No. I've never played an instrument." She answered, narrowing her eyes. "Just ask what you want to."

Crap! Was she a mind-reader? It would explain _so_ much. "Oh- sorry, um… What's the Red Room?" He asked hesitantly.

"The Red Room is…" Natasha paused, obviously thinking. "It's an organisation that trains young children to become assassins- preparing them to work in the KGB when they are old enough whilst working with the kabal and other private organisations."

"... And you were one of those children." Steve realized. His mood darkened as he could only imagine what- besides the grotesque and cruel things she had already told him about- she had gone through.

"Yes, one of the only to complete my training; they have a small graduation rate," Natasha answered softly.

"I can't- I'm sorry you had to go through that, Natasha. A woman like you deserves so much better than that."

Natasha shrugged. "It's fine. It wasn't that bad… what schools did you go to?"

At the abrupt change of subject, he had to take a moment to really think about the question he'd been asked. "Oh, mostly private schools- I'm pretty sure they're all shut down by now."

"Probably," She agreed. "If you thought I was making a bad decision, would you tell me? Even if you knew I didn't want you to tell me?"

That one was easy. "Of course I'd tell you- what kind of person would I be if I let you make a bad decision without at least calling your attention to it? In our line of work, bad decisions could get you killed."

"And if I did it anyway, would you be mad at me?" She asked as a follow-up question.

"Well, it depends on the situation- if you do what you believe is right, despite it being a bad decision, I won't be mad, per-se, more worried than anything. Everyone makes mistakes and I can't fault you for that."

"That's an interesting reply," Natasha commented. "Your turn to ask a question, I believe."

"Okay, how about this: is red your natural hair colour?" He asked off the top of his head. The answer didn't impact him that much.

A small smirk appeared on her lips. "Yes, red is my natural hair colour." Natasha shifted in her seat, leaning forward slightly. "Have you ever dreamt about me?"

He had been somewhat prepared for the next uncomfortable thing she would say, and so he replied, with enough smoothness to surprise even himself, "Yes, actually- we were on this deserted island, it was a beautiful evening, there was a totally romantic sunset," He described, before cracking the joke he'd thought up and was quite proud of, "and we were defeating these giant starfish monsters. It was a glorious battle, too." Man, making misleading comments was fun!

"You have really weird dreams," Natasha commented seriously.

"Quite true," He agreed. "What about you, Miss Mind-Always-In-The-Gutter? Ever dreamt about me?" He waggled his eyebrows before breaking into a fit of laughter.

"Just sex dreams. Want me to tell you about them?" Natasha answered instantly, no hesitation in her response.

He swore he almost choked on his own spit. "No." He replied just as quickly. "What's your favourite colour?" He asked, desperately trying to change the topic.

Natasha hesitated- _visibly hesitated_. "Favourite colour? I don't have one."

"Oh, come on! Everyone has one, whether they're aware of it or not! What colours do you generally find yourself drawn to?"

She shrugged. "Purple? Green?"

He nodded, satisfied. "Good! Those are great colours. Mine are red, white, and blue." As if it wasn't obvious.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "How creative."

He shrugged. It was then that he noticed her scratch a bit at the bandages wrapped around her torso, bringing another question to mind. "Natasha- what's the worst injury you've ever received?"

She opened her mouth to answer his question when she was interrupted by her phone ringing; she picked it up. "Romanoff... Copy that." She moved the phone away from her mouth. "It's Cooper. You go back to jogging- we can continue this later."

He sighed and nodded, standing up and stretching. "Alright, alright. See you later." He made his way out, shutting the door behind himself.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! I was going to post this chapter tomorrow, but couldn't stop myself :D**


	3. Are you sure you're ready for this?

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello! Installment three! :D My beta, ThisVioletofMine, was saying how it was weird writing the twist we're writing, when the readers hadn't even got to a certain part. LOL. We're on chapter six now!**

 **Thank you very, very much to the amazing five of you who reviewed! They were all positive and it always makes my day. So thank you to: SportsFan64; Steelers1; vale1103; princess2015 and; Amy Hamato!**

* * *

"You sure about this, Nat? You're well enough to spar now?" Steve asked in concern. It had been just over a week since she had been badly burned in an explosion, and now she was insisting that she get back into training.

"Yes," Natasha replied firmly, rolling her shoulders back and stretching out. "I've already started training; just thought it would be best to spar with somebody who knew what they were doing."

He eyed her with concern and doubt before finally shrugging and getting into position. "If you say so. But the first sign of something hurting and we're done." He warned.

Natasha rolled her eyes pretty obviously and walked over to him, tossing her jacket to one side. Her eyes were focused on his as she stood there, ready. "Let's go."

Steve made the first move, aiming a low punch at her gut but clearly holding back slightly for fear of hurting her on accident.

She spun out of the way and crossed her arms. "What was _that_?" She demanded.

He broke form and raised his hands defensively. "I just thought that we should start off slowly, save the intense stuff for when you've recovered more."

"I once took down five guys your size, and with a broken leg; stop treating me like your grandmother," Natasha shot at him, irritated. She took her stand again but didn't wait before attacking him with a punch aimed at his face, which he deflected. He leant back to dodge the kick coming straight at his head.

"Aw, come on- you know full well that I wouldn't let my grandmother onto the mats in the first place! Consider yourself lucky to not receive the grandmother treatment!" He teased as he easily caught her incoming punch. He twisted his arm and sent her flying backwards.

Natasha kicked his upper leg as she went with the twist and managed to pull herself out of it. "I'd kill you if you ever did." She commented casually, taking an obvious second to think.

"You're _sure_ you're okay? You seem pretty tired already." He asked again, concern on his face.

She glared at him. "If I'm tired, it's because I had a phone call at three this morning- not because of an arm twist from you." She dropped down, her legs flying to catch his, before bouncing straight back up to her feet and sending an uppercut to his jaw.

He dodged just barely, but lost his balance at the last moment and ended up on his knees. "Alright, alright." He surrendered- in the verbal fight, anyway. He shot out a fist and landed a hit on her hip, sending her to the ground beside him.

Natasha smirked at him. "About time." She declared, grabbing his still extended arm and turning, pulling him towards her before her opposite elbow connected violently with his gut and she bent, pulling him over her. She definitely used her small size as an advantage to throw him over herself.

Steve landed with a thud on his back, the wind knocked from him. "Wow, I was not expecting as much from you so soon after getting burnt." He admitted. He accepted her hand and stood, smiling. Without hesitating, he took advantage of having her hand and pulled, ready to twist and throw her, but she slipped out of his grip and backed away from him. He dropped the attack position when she stepped off the mat.

"I think that's enough for one day," Natasha told him, maintaining eye contact.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" Steve asked, his concern returning instantly as his eyes scanned over her body.

Natasha silently turned around to reveal blood slowly soaking the top of her shirt below one shoulder.

"Nat, your back!" He exclaimed in utter shock as he approached her cautiously, not wanting to inflict any more pain on her. One hand rested gently on her opposite shoulder.

"It's fine; I've probably just pulled a stitch or two," Natasha replied casually, obviously not bothered by her own injury.

"It's all bloody! We need to get you to a doctor," Steve informed her as he gently turned her around.

She pulled a face of disgust. "No thank you. I am not going to see a doctor. Could you just do it for me?"

"You'll let me change them? You've never let me anywhere near your injuries." He asked, surprised.

Natasha nodded. "Yes… but you do know that I'll be topless, right? I was scared you'd blush to death if I took off my top so you could change them." She teased.

Steve took a moment to consider this. "Well, as long as you cover the appropriate places, I'm sure it'll be fine." He said, trying to convince himself. "It's to help you and benefit your health, so I'll do it."

Natasha rolled her eyes as she walked past him to the door, indicating for him to follow. "Thank god that I didn't injure the front half of my body." She muttered sarcastically, just loud enough for him to hear- he presumed that was on purpose.

He followed her through the halls, unnerved by the blood spots blossoming all over her back. If it looked this bad through a shirt and bandaging, then how terrible was it underneath?

She walked into her bedroom and placed a clear plastic box on the bed; it clearly had a lot of medical supplies in it. Without any warning, she took off her shirt and an equally bloodied tight fitting t-shirt. She examined the top. "It's just one of the cuts that reopened. You'll have to glue it closed, now, and then just put some butterfly stitches over them. As for the burns, you'll need to gently clean them and then put cream on them. Got it?" She asked as she picked up a cushion, holding it. "Did you want me to take off the bandages or can you manage it?"

"I- I think you should do that particular task, actually. I'll… get the bandages laid out." Steve said awkwardly, looking anywhere but her.

"I can't wait for you to bandage around my chest and back…" Natasha muttered as she picked up the scissors and cut the current bandages at the front, gently peeling them off of her back. She then held the cushion up against her chest as a half-arsed attempt to keep herself covered. Once she sat down, she looked at him. "Ready."

He sucked in a breath at the sight of her bare back and the damage it had sustained. "That's… really bad, Natasha. You have scabs all over your back, doesn't it hurt?"

"Burns always look worse than they are, Steve. Most of it is healed." Natasha answered. "It mainly itches which is more annoying than painful."

"Still, this doesn't look healthy." He commented, carefully running the wet cloth along the length of the cut. "How did you act so casually the day after you got it?"

"I'm used to it. Before S.H.I.E.L.D, it didn't matter how badly I was injured- when I _did_ get injured. I had to continue on the mission or move onto the next one. I could rest when I was dead," Natasha recanted. "It doesn't bother me."

Steve frowned deeply at this information. "Are you incapable of feeling pain now, or what? This looks extremely painful, so that's the only explanation I can think of as to why you're not sobbing right now."

Natasha groaned. "Yes, I feel pain; but it's not that bad. I've had a lot worse. I know my limits, Steve."

"Do you, though? You were the one who insisted on sparring, and look at the result!" Steve retorted.

Natasha stood up, holding the cushion tighter against her chest as she turned to face him. "Stop. Maybe I should go to see a doctor to get this stitched up." She suggested.

"Natasha, I've got this. I just don't like seeing you injured, so I guess I'm taking that out on you. I'm sorry." Steve was quick to apologize and diffuse the situation. He motioned pleadingly for her to sit down again. "I'll leave it be, I promise, but let me at least finish bandaging."

She turned around and sat back down. "I know you don't like it; that's why I hid it from you… But you keep talking about being open now that we're in a relationship."

He sighed and got back to work, dabbing some salve on a particularly nasty burn that had yet to lose its ugly colouring. "I know, and I appreciate you feeling comfortable enough to let me see you while you're like this. But that doesn't make me any less worried about you- it just means I care."

"Doesn't mean you have to constantly mention it," Natasha responded. "And you're just touchy about the injuries because you can't get them anymore… you're not used to it."

Steve snorted and began applying a bandage. "True, I suppose. You puny mortals keep surprising me with your fragility." He said in a Thor-like boom.

Natasha's hand swung around and connected with his knee. "Jerk." She muttered. "Are you done yet?" She questioned impatiently.

"Almost." He replied. There was an awkward silence. He passed the bandage around to her and they wrapped her together-mainly so he didn't have to see the bare front half of her. "Nice weather we're having, huh?"

"Yeah… hopefully it'll get hotter- then I can walk around naked without getting chilly," Natasha replied seductively.

Steve made an odd choking noise and paused in his task. "You're… That was a joke, right? Right? You won't _actually_ be walking around… _naked_ , right?"

"Not here, I wouldn't," Natasha half-answered.

He sighed and decided to just go with it for now. "Good." He muttered to himself. "What was the worst injury you've ever had?" He asked, remembering that she hadn't answered that because of her call.

Natasha turned her head and looked at him for a second before they finished wrapping her. She picked up a top and pulled it on before turning around to face him. "At one time?" She asked for clarification. "Like, the severity of the injury, or how much it impacted me?"

"Well, 'the worst' implies both- most severe, most hard-hitting… So, what injury was the most damaging mentally _and_ physically?" He answered.

Natasha pursed her lips and collected her hoodie, pulling it on over her head. "Most mentally _and_ physically… would probably be when one of my old...only friends from the red room tried to kill me. That was the only other time that I didn't get out of a building in time to not be harmed." She paused. "It was different injuries to this one, shrapnel and being hit by… but her being killed in the blast too was pretty hard to deal with." She admitted.

Steve paused. "Oh… I'm so sorry…" That was all he could think of- what else could one say in this situation?

"It was a few years ago, I'm over it," She replied. "Thanks for stitching me up, I told Rhodey I'd go through some drills with him," Natasha told him standing up and getting ready to leave.

"Natasha-" He interrupted, grabbing her wrist and making eye contact with her. "You're sure you're okay?" This time he forced all of his genuine emotions into the question- he was asking genuinely this time, not just trying to remind her that she was injured.

One hand came up, but it slowed and rested on his upper arm, "Yes. The cut is annoying me, but I'm fine." She promised, not making any attempt to move away from him, looking directly up at him.

Steve inhaled slowly. "Just… Be more careful, Natasha. I don't like seeing you hurt, and if you're not careful, this injury will take so much longer to heal. I don't like how often you put yourself in harm's way, either."

"I know how to handle myself, Steve-I've been doing it my whole life," She replied with a shrug.

"But the thing is, you don't have to," Steve responded, repeating the same thing Bucky had said to him after his mother died. He didn't have time to reminisce, though, as he found her lips on his, and he couldn't seem to register that _Natasha was kissing him_ until his eyes closed of their own accord and he kissed her back.

Natasha pulled back thanks, "I still like taking care of myself." She commented with a smile. "I shouldn't leave Rhodey waiting, I'm not going to let them rest, just because I'm supposed to be." She winked at him before stepping away from him and heading out of her door.

* * *

Natasha was leaning against the backboard of Steve's bed, a pillow wedged between her and the backboard. Thankfully her back wasn't hurting at all-apart from the cut she had tore open twice, although, Steve only knew about one of those incidents. Her feet were crossed as Steve's notepad was rested on her legs, she was flicking through the pages of the drawing whilst he was getting ready to draw her. Surprisingly, it didn't take as much convincing as she predicted it would have.

"Alright," Steve muttered as he helped reposition her to an ideal position. He straightened out a stray hair before nodding to himself and backing up. "Ready to sit incredibly still for a long time?" He asked jokingly.

"How hard can it be?" She questioned, rhetorically. "Have you drawn anybody before?"

"Well, I drew a stray cat once… Does that count?" He asked as he began sketching a basic outline of her body shape.

Natasha quirked an eyebrow, "And the cat stayed still long enough for that?"

Steve smiled. "Nah, I just drew from memory- cats aren't as different from each other as people are, so it was fairly easy."

"I still cannot imagine you as an artist; is that what you wanted to be when you were younger, before the army?"

"I think it was more of a pastime than a future career. What did you want to be as a kid?" He was staring intently at the page.

A small smile graced her lips as she answered, "A ballerina." She paused for a few moments, she had found out that it was a common thing for little girls to want to be a ballerina or a dancer and it made her feel more normal. "I did it as a child, I think. I just love how graceful and effortless they make everything. It's… really beautiful."

He paused to grin at her before blowing eraser shavings from the page. "I'd bet any dance is really beautiful when _you're_ the one dancing." He said genuinely, not making eye contact after he said it.

Natasha rolled her eyes, but didn't comment on his nice remark, "I bet you'll be a good dancer once I teach you-I've seen how easily you move around on the battlefield."

Steve smiled again and chuckled. "There's a bit of a difference between combat and ballet dancing, Natasha."

"Not really, it's more similar than a lot of people realise," Natasha informed him. Or maybe it was dance and being a spy that was more similar-she shrugged off that thought.

"I guess I'll take your word for-" He was interrupted as Rhodey poked his head in.

"Hey, Cap, can I talk to you for a minute- in private?" He asked. Steve shot a glance at Natasha before reluctantly nodding.

"Alright, let's go outside." He said. He turned back to Natasha. "Nat, don't move- you only have half a face." Then he exited.

Natasha rolled her eyes-she realised she was doing that a lot. With a sly smile she slipped off the bed and paced around to look at the drawing, "Woah… that's amazing." She commented to herself before hearing a phone go off. She slipped her phone out of her pocket, glancing at it before tossing it onto his bed. Her eyes scanned around the room before she located it two seconds later and answered it within the next second. "Hello?"

* * *

 **Who do you think could be calling? Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Drop a review to tell me what you think or want to happen! :D**


	4. Hello?

**Author's note:**

 **Hello, it's me... I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet... Sorry Grossly-Sweet, but unfortunately it was not Adele who called. But, good guess!**

 **Sportsfan64, thank you again for a delightful review! I loved every second of reading it (even when you said you weren't sure if you loved or hated me :P) I really smile when I see a review is from you now, even before I've read it!**

 **RomanogerLaucifer, Thank you for your review too! I'm glad you liked the teasing! And the compliment in your review too was so sweet!**

 **Steelers1, Thanks! I'm really glad you liked it ^.^**

 **supesfan18, thank you for your review, I am inputting what you suggested, as I've said. I love opinions, they make me a better writer and make a better story too!**

 **RukiaDeathKuchiki, Thanks! You honestly flatter me! :D**

* * *

Natasha answered Steve's phone, pressing it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Ste- What? Who is this?" The voice on the other end demanded.

"It's Natasha," She paused. "Bucky?"

There was heavy panting on the line and some shouting in the background. "Uh- yeah." He said breathlessly. Metal clanged and there was the sound of feet slapping on pavement. "Listen, is Steve there? I _really_ need him right now!"

Natasha glanced at the door, contemplation playing on her face. "No. He's not. I can help you, though- tell me what's going on and where you are."

"Natasha, I can't talk to you right now! _Give Steve the phone_!"

"If you're in trouble, I can help you a lot more than he can. I have connections. Talk. To. Me. _Now_." Natasha said firmly.

Bucky didn't speak for a few seconds and there was a strange shuffling sound. "Alright. I got into some trouble- it was a reflexive response, I didn't mean to kill those men!" He cried, sounding distressed.

"I'm on my way- where are you?" Natasha asked. She headed for the door, but stopped, quickly writing a note- 'Called on mission' -and slipping out of the window.

He panted again. "An- an alley, I don't know where. I've found a hiding spot for now, so I can't leave to see the street signs; the last one I saw while I was running here was Fourth, though."

"I'll track your phone, just stay on the line…" Natasha jumped, landing on her feet and running to 'borrow' one of the quinjets- she still wondered how Stark had gotten one. "Keep your metal arm hidden- then you can blend in with a crowd better. What country are you in?"

"Um- America; I haven't left. Still in New York, actually; I just ran into some bad people." He confessed. "It all went downhill after that."

"Okay. Stay down, I'm tracking your location right now- I should be able to direct you to someplace safer while I fly to you," Natasha spoke as she started the engine, put him on speakerphone, started tracking and took off. "Are you injured?"

"Got punched a few times- I think the other guys got it much worse." He said with a cynical chuckle.

Natasha tilted her head with smirk. "I'll take your word for that- how many did you kill?"

Bucky was hesitant to answer, that much was clear. He swallowed audibly and shuffled a bit. "Seven." He admitted quietly, shame painting his voice.

"Not bad," Natasha replied casually. It didn't bother her. "Just don't let that number increase." She got a bing. "I've got your location- is it clear where you are?" She questioned.

"Uh- yeah." He answered. "How are you so calm about this- I killed people! They were government agents! I'll get the death sentence for that!"

"Been there, done that," Natasha replied. "Go back out onto the main street and go left, walk down and take the third right. After about ten houses, there's an alleyway- go down it. Left when you get out of it, third house. Knock on the door; the password is, 'I have your peaches'. Wait in the basement and talk to NOBODY. Got it?"

"Got- got it." He stuttered in surprise. "Why are you helping me? You don't know me _that_ well- I caused a fight between you and Steve!" She heard his light footsteps as he followed her directions.

Natasha sighed. "You didn't cause an argument; we weren't… in a… it's complicated. We hadn't really worked anything out when he had told you, and even though it was nice, things just broke apart and then I exploded. Said a few lies- but it's all in the past. I'm not angry at you." She paused, increasing the speed. "Steve and I are fine- we're friends. And you're _his_ friend, so of course I'll help you."

"I-" He cut off, thinking better of his previous idea, and instead settled for, "Thank you, Natasha. I won't forget this kindness."

"Just make sure you're not being followed- I don't like a safehouse being compromised," Natasha replied. "Stay on the line." She hated talking, but she could track him and prevent others from tracking him more easily if the line was still connected.

"Copy that," Bucky said, and a muffled 'I have your peaches,' was heard. There was the sound of a door opening and Bucky rushing inside. "I'm in."

"Basement, now." Natasha ordered. "And stop talking. Unless there's something wrong."

"Nothing wrong- just ki-" He once again cut off, probably not wanting to freak out the safe house's other occupants. He brought his voice down to a whisper. "Just killed seven people- absolutely nothing wrong." He snapped sarcastically, but without malice.

"I see Steve gets his theatrics from you," Natasha commented. "Are you in the basement yet? Are you alone?"

"Yes, I'm alone- the basement is locked, though."

"Just kick the damn door open, then," Natasha couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice. "And quickly- you need to move."

"Alright, alright," He responded, the sound of a door being forcefully kicked in reaching her. "Okay, I'm in the basement. Now what?"

Natasha slowed the quinjet. "Change of plan. Get to the roof- you might have to slip out of a window. You have no problem jumping into a jet from a roof, right?"

"Psht. Please. That's become a habit for me." Bucky replied.

"Great, I'll be there in five minutes- stay alive."

"It's what I do best." He assured, hanging up.

Natasha glared at the phone. Hadn't she told him to _stay on the line_? With a dramatic roll of her eyes, she continued to pilot the jet. She waited until the last minute before plummeting down, pulling up and hovering close enough to the building that most trained agents could make it across fairly easily before opening the hangar door.

A few moments later, Bucky was sprawled on the floor of the receiving bay, chest heaving from the adrenaline rush he'd gotten while jumping the gap between quinjet and rooftop. He sent her a thumbs-up to say he was okay and ready to go.

She hit the button to close the hangar door, lingering for a second before flying off, going higher to get out of sight and back into stealth mode. "You alive?"

He stumbled into the cockpit and sat in the copilot's seat. "I guess so."

Natasha looked at him. "Great, you appear to be in one piece." She flew in a random direction to start off with.

"If that counts for anything." He mumbled, staring at the floor guiltily. Now that he wasn't fleeing for his life, he clearly had more time to wallow in the guilt of having killed.

"Save the wallowing for Steve," Natasha replied. "He'd love to give you a lecture about putting yourself in danger and losing you-maybe he'll ease up with me if he's worried about you."

Bucky winced a little. "He's going to hate me for what I did- he's stuck with me through so much in the effort of bringing me back, and here I go and return to how I was before… How could he possibly put up with me anymore?"

"He's _Steve_ ," Natasha replied as if it answered everything. Because he was Steve and he would never give up on somebody he loved- and Bucky was like his brother.

"Exactly- he's like a brother to me, and now I've broken the law he struggles so hard to uphold; I've taken _lives_! They were _human beings_! I'm a murderer!"

"Me too." Natasha replied without even looking at him. He and Steve were way more alike than she'd originally realised. "Put on the blindfold next to you- can't let you see where we're going." She told him as she began to turn, planning on doing a 250-degree turn.

"Okay…" He did as told before turning his head in her general direction. "You've… killed?"

"Men, women and children." Natasha replied shortly, giving him a quick glance, she thought he knew about her past. She had no intention of having a heart-to-heart with him; he had nowhere near earnt any trust from her. There were a very limited number of people that she actually had full conversations with. She owed him no explanation. However, the odd response to show she understood was the least she could do- he was Steve's friend.

"Oh…" Bucky muttered understandingly, going quiet. His hands fidgeted in his lap nervously.

"You might want to mentally prepare what you're going to say to Steve," Natasha recommended. He nodded and they fell into a comfortable silence as she flew the jet back to the base.

* * *

By the time things with Rhodey had been sorted out, Steve returned to an empty room, half-drawn Natasha being his only company. Where had she gone? He searched the room intently and found no trace her- then he saw her note. Alarmed, he read through it, only to find himself more alarmed than before. What was she up to? What mission? He reached for his phone- only to find it missing as well.

Sam poked his head in. "Hey, Steve-Natasha called you on my phone." He said, holding his phone out.

Steve snatched the device up and pressed it to his ear. "Natasha? Natasha, where are you?" He demanded.

"Relax, I'm going to land in a minute. No, you stay silent." She paused. "Meet me in the hangar?"

"You got it." He answered, tossing the phone back to Sam and sprinting to the hangar. He approached the newly-arrived quinjet, shouting, "What happened?"

Natasha walked out. "Somebody needed to be extracted. Knew it would be quicker if I just went; there was no combat or anything. I just flew the plane." She threw him his phone. "Oh, and Bucky's here, too."

At the sound of his name, Bucky walked out, looking extremely guilty and awkward. "Hey, Stevie."

Worried, Steve stepped forward and put a hand on Bucky's shoulder. "Bucky, what the hell happened to you? Why is there blood on your shirt?"

"I'm sorry, Steve. I…"

"Some agents tried to apprehend him, and, in self-defense, he may have taken some of their lives," Natasha interrupted.

Bucky nodded. "I killed them."

Steve swallowed in surprise, grip tightening slightly. "Oh, Bucky… You killed people?" He asked somewhat gently. His face was pale, he could tell.

Bucky looked away, actions speaking volumes. "Yes." He murmured.

Steve didn't know how exactly to react. His best friend had just killed several people. But, then again… "It's not your fault, Bucky." The other man's head shot up in surprise. "You can't help your natural reactions- there were bound to be aftereffects of returning from being the Winter Soldier. Besides, I know you wouldn't have reacted so extremely unless they had attacked you, which means it was their fault for antagonising you." He trusted Bucky and always tried to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Bucky blinked, eyes wide, face paler. "Steve, I… How can you be so…?" He trailed off.

"You're my oldest friend- I know you better than you might think, which means I know that you wouldn't do something like that out of nowhere. You're much more controlled than that. It's clear that you regret your actions very deeply, so I'm not worried about you being a further threat." Steve answered firmly.

"Told you," Natasha smirked at Bucky.

"But… But I-"

"Bucky." Steve interrupted him. "Your actions won't go without consequences, that's for certain, but I forgive you- you're still my friend. It's all over now, so stop beating yourself up about it- it was accidental, you can't change what happened, and you'll be dealt with accordingly. Considering that you weren't in full control of yourself, though, I think your punishment will be lighter."

"I… Alright." Bucky replied, nodding. He turned to Natasha. "Thank you for helping me- I owe you one… or twenty."

"I'll definitely collect it at a later time," Natasha promised. Her eyes lingered on Steve for a few seconds, but her expression was unreadable.

Bucky snorted a little. "Just like Natasha- you're one of the few people on the planet who wouldn't wave off an 'I owe you one'."

"Bucky, go get cleaned up." Steve ordered. Bucky nodded and walked hesitantly away, leaving the couple alone. He noticed Sam in the doorway, waving in greeting and showing Bucky the way. "Nat, what happened? I know you went to get Bucky, but, I mean… Why?"

Natasha shrugged. "He's your friend- why wouldn't I help him?"

He paused and stared at her. "Sorry, it's just… You're not usually one to go out of your way to help a friend of a… boyfriend? Whatever I am to you. Anyway, I'm just saying it's a bit out of character."

Natasha stood there, looking completely composed, but her face showed a little bit of confusion. "I just… thought it would help you."

"Well, thank you, Nat. I can't tell you how much it means to me." He assured her, putting a hand on her upper arm with a smile. "You're very kind when you want to be, you know."

"Don't tell anybody else; it'll ruin my reputation." Natasha whispered, placing a kiss on his cheek. "But you know you're going to have to deal with Bucky now, right? Don't be so… soft and squishy. You have to be tough to a degree."

He frowned, even though his heart soared when her lips made contact. "What do you mean, 'deal with Bucky'? I thought the higher-ups would take care of it."

Natasha smirked at him. "What higher-ups? You going to call Tony? You're the captain, Steve. You're in charge. Who could you possibly mean by 'higher ups'?"

He stared for a second before saying, "Oh." Then he continued to stare stupidly. "Me? In charge? I can't possibly punish Bucky! I'm too emotionally involved in his case to choose the appropriate sentence!"

Natasha raised an eyebrow at that. "If you had children, would you just not punish them and give them everything they wanted? They'd probably turn out like Tony. You're the only one who really knows Bucky well enough to be fair with the punishment. Most only know him as the Winter Soldier."

Steve sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I suppose you're right… What's your advice on his punishment? You seem pretty good at punishing people."

"Excuse me?" Natasha asked firmly, taking a step back. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He laughed slightly and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you didn't know? I thought it would have been obvious with the way half the people here avoid you, and all." He said in an exaggerated drawl.

Natasha didn't take it in the intended way- she glared at him. "Is that so? I'm sorry I'm such an awful person to be around." She spun around and stormed off.

"Natasha!" He called, cursing himself as he chased after her. "Natasha, I'm sorry! That's not what I meant!"

She veered to a stop, turning and staring at him. "Then what _did_ you mean?"

"I was just being an idiot, is all! It was a joke that I didn't think through!" He cried as means of apology.

"Well, you failed tremendously- I work those recruits hard and there are punishments for certain things. Them avoiding me isn't that far-fetched." Natasha groaned. "I guess I'm a bit..." She rolled her eyes. "...Sensitive."

A great taunt popped into his head at that, but he decided not to risk his life and instead stuck with silently nodding. Then he pat her shoulder. "We're both a bit problematic, Nat. It's why we're an awesome team." He said cheekily.

"Ground him. He can't leave the base… and let's just train him like the other recruits- help him to control his urges and emotions, similar to what I do with Wanda." Natasha advised.

"That's a really good idea! Productive, too!" He agreed, "I'm going to grab a snack from the kitchen, want anything?"

Natasha shook her head. "No, thanks. I think you should sit with Bucky. Get him cleaned up and fed- I'm not sure he's been taking care of himself."

Steve nodded slowly. "True… Alright, I'm gonna make him a sandwich and force-feed him when he's cleaned up." He decided. He would have to have a serious talk with Bucky later.

"Let me know if you need anything. I think I might go and get cleaned up, myself-maybe later-" Natasha stopped suddenly. "Just let me know if I can help."

"Copy that." He replied, heading to the kitchen.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! Did you like that it was Bucky who called? Let me know if there's anything you'll like to see :D**


	5. The Sandwich

**Author's note:**

 **Well, hello there my favourite bunch of readers! How are you all on this snowy/sunny/windy/rainy day/night/evening/afternoon? (So many variables!)**

 **A tremendous thank you to the amazingly thoughtful reviewers from the last chapter: Sportsfan64; Sanctuaria; Grossly-sweet; Amy Hamato; RomanogersLucifer; princess2015.**

 **And, just a quick shout out to those amazing 46 followers! And 18 favs! Outstanding!**

* * *

"Steve, honestly, I can't eat any more." Bucky insisted. He dropped the remaining half of the sandwich back onto the plate and sat back.

Steve sighed in exasperation and picked the food back up, pushing it towards his friend. "Come on, Buck, just one more bite! You need to eat." He argued.

Bucky shook his head. "You sound like a fussy grandmother- no, worse, you sound like _your_ mother." He teased, leaning out of the way when the sandwich flew at his face. He chuckled when it hit the floor behind him. "Seriously, Steve, my stomach is full to capacity."

"With _what_? Did you eat your _shampoo_ or something? I _know_ you didn't eat before you arrived, so stop lying." Steve questioned, throwing his arms up. "You have to eat, you must know that!" He scolded.

Bucky sighed, taking another bite before putting it back down. "Happy?" He muttered. "I remember when I had to force you to eat after your mama died. Is this payback for that?" He joked.

Steve tilted his head. "I'm just returning the favour, Buck. You really helped me back then, and now it's my turn. Remember- you're not alone."

"Thanks, Steve." Bucky muttered sincerely before sobering. "Steve, I really messed up this time, didn't I?" The question was rhetorical, but Steve answered anyway.

"Yes." He sighed and squared his shoulders. "Bucky, we need to discuss your punishment."

Bucky sighed as well before reluctantly nodding. "You're right. What is it?" He asked.

"You're grounded. No leaving the base, no contact with outsiders, no combat of any kind. You will train with Natasha every morning at eight, and you'll spend the rest of the day under the surveillance of myself or another Avenger. Do you understand?" Steve informed him.

Bucky lowered his head and thought it over. "Yeah. Why such a light punishment, though? I thought S.H.I.E.L.D would want my head on a platter."

"Well, S.H.I.E.L.D is kind of… broken, remember? Natasha helped me think of your punishment." Steve responded. Bucky looked at him with wide eyes.

"That's why-? Steve, that's not nearly enough for what I've done! Were I in police custody right now, they'd be sending me off to prison for life! You can't go so easy on me, not when I killed seven human beings!" Bucky insisted.

Steve sighed. "That's what we have decided for now. We are going to prevent this from happening again, which is why you are not to leave the base." He paused, looking at his friend. "Right now there is not a warrant for your arrest or anything, so we are playing the rest of it by ear. You can't just get a slap on the wrist, but we're not going to throw you in a cell and let you rot, either. It wasn't your fault- you said they attacked you and it was self-defence. I believe you."

"What if they _do_ put out a warrant for my arrest?" Bucky asked.

"Then we will deal with it," Steve replied. "But focus on the now- you'll start your training with Natasha in the morning. As far as I could gather, she's not going to go easy on you-so be prepared for anything."

Bucky laughed, obviously amused. "There's nothing she can throw at me that I couldn't handle."

Steve offered a small smirk, glad that Bucky had dropped the 'I've killed' conversation. He knew that there was a high chance of repercussions for his actions, but for now, it was left in Steve's hands and he'd done what he thought was right. He looked at his friend and smiled. "You _sure_ you couldn't handle another bite of that sandwich?"

* * *

Natasha's eyebrows furrowed before she grabbed Rhodey's legs, pulling them towards her as she pushed her upper body against his. He fell down with a thud, staring at her with wide eyes. "If a woman steps closer to you, that doesn't mean she wants you."

Rhodey nodded. "I know, it was just… unexpected. Can you teach me that?" He asked.

Natasha offered him a hand and pulled him up. "Of course, it's a simple takedown move-" She stopped as the door opened. Ah, right- she was babysitting Bucky and training him in the mornings. "Take a seat, I'm just finishing up."

Bucky nodded and sat down, glancing at Steve longingly. Steve left immediately.

"It's a simple takedown move. Simply grab my legs without bending down too much and then bend forward- I should lose balance, unable to step back, and fall down." Natasha described. "Give it a try."

Rhodey stood tall, looking at her up and down for a moment. "You're really short- this'll be awkward… Maybe-"

"Excuses; take me down," Natasha ordered.

Rhodey stepped forward, bending down and grabbing her legs, pushing his upper body forward.

"Hold lower on my legs- you're hugging me right now."

His arms moved considerably lower as he pushed forward and she dropped back onto the ground gracefully, putting one arm out to stop him from falling down.

"Practice that with Sam, and teach it to him, too-it's a good and easy move to know. If you're cornered, you can send them to the ground without hurting them." Natasha advised as she accepted his hand and stood up.

"Thank you, Natasha," Rhodey replied sincerely before walking out of the gym.

"Bucky, you look well rested." Natasha commented as she walked over to him, picking up a water bottle on the way. She look a large swig and then looked at him. "Have you eaten yet this morning?"

"No. Steve collected me from my room and brought me here," Bucky answered.

Natasha nodded, picking up a hoodie and slipping it on. "How about we go and get some breakfast, then?" She questioned before adding, "I'm hungry, myself."

Bucky nodded. "But what about training?"

"I have you for three hours, and there's a few things I want to try… but I don't know you yet, so this is more of an introduction. I need to get to know you and what sort of training to start with, and you need to work out what's comfortable and learn to follow my orders." Natasha informed him. She offered him a hand, which he accepted and used to stand up. As she led him out of the room and down the hallway, she decided it would be good to start to know what topics he'd bring up in a conversation. "How about we start talking?" She suggested, keeping it structured.

"Alright… About what? Do you mean conversationally, or light interrogation?" Bucky joked slightly.

Natasha smiled. "Conversationally. I'm going to allow you direct the conversation- however, I would prefer if it was mostly about you. But, you are free to talk about whatever you like, and ask me any questions- within reason, of course."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, there's not much I can think to talk of... Have you and Steve made up completely?" He asked feebly, directing it away from himself immediately.

"Yes." Natasha answered. "How do you feel about that?"

"What are you, my therapist?" He questioned, a bit rudely, before correcting himself. "Sorry. Don't like talking about my feelings, I suppose." He sucked in a breath.

"Tough," Natasha retorted firmly. She forced herself to not glare at him for his tone and kept a composed expression as they walked into the kitchen. "How do you feel about Steve and I not hating each other?"

"I'm happy for you both, of course. It's good that you're not arguing- that you're getting along." Bucky answered, looking at her. "Are you two… together?"

She pulled down some oats and glanced at him. "We are giving things a try. Is that a problem?"

He stared at the ground. "Well, I want Steve to be happy, and you make him happy. You both deserve each other." He started. "I find it a little strange that you can go from tense to casual so quickly, but I'll get used to it."

She was silent for a few seconds as she poured the oats into a pan. "That doesn't sound like you're happy about it. What are your worries?" She then added the milk and sugar.

Bucky didn't make eye contact. "That you'll hurt Steve- after Peggy, I don't want to see him hurting after a woman." He said honestly.

"I have no intention of hurting him, Bucky." Natasha took a breath; she remembered how broken up Steve had been about Peggy and knew how much he cared for her. "Did you know Peggy?" She asked, not caring that it was more about her curiosity than helping Bucky.

"Yes- not too well, but I knew her. I knew how much she meant to Steve." He answered, face downcast. "Steve called me two days after she died and just… talked. For hours. He was so upset that he hadn't said goodbye, that she'd had to die alone, that he'd never see her again. I don't think I've ever heard him so distraught."

Natasha looked down, biting her inner cheek. She focused on the pan, stirring the porridge constantly. "Maybe we shouldn't talk about Steve- we're supposed to be talking about you." She suggested, really, _really_ not wanting to hear about how upset Steve was over Peggy's death. She knew he had loved her and tried to block all of that out- because if she opened that wound, she would stress over it; did he really love her, or was she just a rebound?

"Yeah, I guess you're right. When were you born?" He asked awkwardly, not seeming to know how to start a conversation.

"1984. How about you? Old man," Natasha replied instantly.

"1917, little girl." Bucky shot back with a smile.

"You could be my grandfather," Natasha replied thoughtfully, pulling a face. "I'd rather not think about that." Bucky and Steve were the same age- at least she presumed so- and that was just a gross thought to have.

"Hey, 98 isn't _that_ old." He argued, pushing his hair behind his ears. "I might be craving prunes all the time, but that's besides the point."

Natasha scoffed playfully. "You're more than thrice my age, Grandpa."

"What was that? Could you speak up?" Bucky leant forward, hand cupped behind his ear. "I forgot my hearing aid when I fell and broke my hip this morning."

"Did you want me to play doctor?" Natasha teased.

He shook his head, smiling charmingly. "If you were my doctor, I'd be breaking bones all the time." He winked, smile growing.

Natasha let out a small laugh as she poured the porridge into two bowls, placing them both on the counter and handing him a spoon.

"This looks like what I ate in the army," Bucky reminisced, looking down at the goo-like substance.

"I thought you might be more inclined to eat something you are more accustomed to- Steve told me that you didn't eat much of the sandwich." Natasha replied.

"He told you that, did he?" Bucky asked before taking a mouthful of the porridge and then another.

Natasha smiled to herself; even if he only ate a quarter of a bowl, it would successfully fill him up- porridge was very good for a person. "How are you adjusting to this time period? To… being out of the hands of HYDRA?" Natasha asked, not preparing him for a serious question.

Bucky blinked in surprise at the sudden change of subject, his spoon hovering in the air for a moment. "I… think I'm doing okay. Everything's so reliant on technology now, so that takes a lot of getting used to. As for HYDRA, well…" He trailed off hesitantly. "It's nice to not be a brainwashed weapon anymore- to be able to have conversations. With _friends_. And to remember who I am. There's something liberating about knowing yourself after not having a true identity for so long." He described, losing tension as he spoke.

Natasha nodded. "What do you like most about yourself?" She asked.

"I don't know… My winning personality, I suppose." He added with a smirk.

She scoffed lightly. "Yes, that's my favourite thing about you." She began eating her own bowl of porridge, waiting for him to continue as well. When he got to the halfway point, she decided to ask a question that she knew he wouldn't like, but she needed to ask and give the idea regardless. "I know you've been experimented on- but I was wondering if, in the future, you would be willing to let somebody… well, let somebody make you relive your worst nightmare?" She asked.

His eyes widened exponentially and his breathing picked up slightly. "You… you don't mean _right now_ , right? I… I can't…" There was panic in voice, sounding dangerously close to hysteria.

"No. No, of course not," Natasha reassured. "Not now, and if you'd prefer, not ever. I would never force that on anybody. Forget I asked." She paused. "Tell me about your family."

Bucky took a deep breath, seemingly calming himself. "Aside from Steve? Because he's basically all I've got- he's like my brother."

"You two are like brothers, yes, but what about back when you were a kid?"

"Well, I was the oldest of four…" He supplied. "I don't like thinking about what could have happened to them while I was gone." His breath was a little shuddering before he was back to a small smile.

"Have you tried meditation before?" She inquired.

"A few times." Bucky answered reluctantly; it was pretty clear that he wasn't comfortable. "It never really worked for me."

Natasha nodded understandingly; she'd thought it was a whole load of crap when she was first introduced to it. But had proven to be great when she was on a mission or ambushed- being able to put everything out of her mind or to choose what to focus on was key. It helped her control her anger at times and remain controlled. "I want to give it a try, later- if you're open to it."

He took a few slow spoonfuls of porridge before nodding. "If I must… I'd much rather do something more productive, though."

"Let's see how the meditation goes, first," Natasha decided. She put her spoon down when her phone buzzed and slipped it out of her pocket- her finger was a millimetre away from the answer button when she noticed the caller ID. She waited for the call to go to her voicemail and placed it down on the table.

"Natasha, why didn't you answer it?" Bucky asked her.

She looked up at him. "We're in the middle of a training session, and it wasn't important- I'll call them back later." She paused. "Just a few more bites and you would have finished your porridge."

Bucky looked down at his nearly empty bowl and smiled proudly. "I think eating goop for breakfast is a perfect way to start the training session."

"Me too. Next thing on the agenda is for you to do the washing up."

* * *

That night, Natasha was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking at her phone. She sighed before dialing _his_ number. She heard the call get connected and after a few seconds, she heard his voice.

"Hello?"

* * *

 **I did not plan to have it end as a mystery... but, when I realised it was only mentioned at the very end who had called her, I decided to just take out the name. Just because I could!**

 **If there's any AoS fans out there, I've started a new story, it's got a few chapters and follows Huntingbird: It's called "A Time To Love." (I have actually nearly posted the wrong chapter onto the story, their names being so similar.)**


	6. You called?

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello! Firstly, a thank you to those who reviewed! Sportsfan64; supesfan18; Guest; grossly-sweet; Amy Hamato; KittyPryde93.**

 **Secondly, thank you to all of you who have Fav'ed or followed the story, or me! It means so much to me!**

 **One of you actually got it correct about who was calling! Nice going!**

 **This chapter, is actually, my favourite so far!**

* * *

That night, Natasha was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking at her phone. She sighed before dialing Bruce's number. She heard the call get connected and after a few seconds, she heard his voice.

"Hello?"

"You rang," Natasha replied in a bored tone.

"Oh- yes, I did. I need to talk to you." Bruce said just as calmly.

"About?"

There was a moment of silence and Natasha contemplated hanging up. "I'm at Tony's right now. Can you meet me here?" He asked.

"I'm busy," Was her instant reply. She didn't even have to think about that- she had no intention of meeting up with Bruce right now, or even in the next couple of weeks.

"Are you sure? Can't you get un-busy? It's important." He insisted.

Natasha groaned. "No. I have more important things to do than fly to Tony's and talk to _you."_

"Oh… I see… I guess I'll see you at some point in the future, then. Goodnight." Bruce said rather dejectedly.

"Doubtful," Natasha muttered as she hung up the phone. He was with Tony, so he wasn't in any immediate danger- therefore it wasn't her problem. She groaned again and tossed her phone aside.

She let out a deep sigh and stood up, walking out of her room. She took a right and walked around for a few minutes before checking in on Wanda.

"Natasha, did we have a session?" Wanda asked upon seeing her, already jumping up and looking around- presumably for her shoes.

"No, we don't," Natasha said quickly. "Just was walking past and thought I'd see how things went earlier with Steve."

Wanda sat back down, relaxed. "It was great, thanks."

"That's good- get some rest."

"I will. Thank you, Natasha." Wanda replied gratefully.

Natasha smiled and walked out before continuing down the corridor and knocking on Steve's door.

Steve opened the door a few seconds later. "Natasha?" He asked tiredly, looking as though he'd just recently woken up.

She peered at the time. "Didn't realise you'd be sleeping." She commented, looking down the corridor, contemplating just heading back to her own bed and leaving her phone off.

He scrubbed a hand over his face and blinked the sleep from his eyes. "Decided to turn in early- don't really know why, but… Anyway, what's up?" He asked.

"Nothing; just couldn't sleep, I suppose. Mind if I keep you company?" Natasha asked lightly. The last time she'd turned up at somebody else's room like this, she'd actually had a nightmare and it was Clint's room she found herself drawn to.

Steve offered a smile and nodded, stepping aside to allow her in. "Sure, make yourself at home."

 _Home?_ She thought to herself as she walked in and sat on his bed. She noticed the half-finished drawing of herself and smiled. "You kept that? It's not finished."

"Hm? Oh, that- I was hoping to finish it sooner or later." He answered sheepishly, moving to sit on the bed beside her. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

"Life," Natasha answered vaguely. She didn't want to tell him that Bruce had called, because in all honesty, she could already imagine him telling her that she owed it to herself and Bruce to talk to him. "Sometimes I just want to… run away to a farm and cut ties with everybody. Life would be so much more simple- and Laura is always so happy; it seems like the perfect life."

Steve glanced sideways at her with raised brows. "But would _you_ be happy with that kind of life?"

Natasha smiled softly. "I could imagine it. A peaceful life, a _normal_ life…"

He smirked. "If only… I think we agreed to giving up the possibility of an apple pie life the moment we agreed to being in the Avengers."

"Unlike you, I never had the option of an 'apple pie life'." Natasha reminded him solemnly. "And just because you joined the Avengers doesn't mean you can't have it; just ask Clint."

"That's not the _true_ 'apple pie'. His family is constantly trying to stay under the radar, always fearing that some enemy or another will find out about them and use them against him. A normal life doesn't involve that." He reminded her.

"I suppose you're right," Natasha agreed. She turned to him, looking up at him with a soft smile. "But it's definitely close to it."

He sighed wistfully and nodded. "Yeah, that's true." He admitted. "Still, having to keep his family a secret is _not_ something I envy him for."

"I envy him having a family," She admitted so quietly that it was barely a whisper. She lowered her head.

"Nat…" He breathed, sounding saddened. Then, before she could react, his finger was pushing her chin up and his lips were on hers.

Natasha responded softly, one hand lifting to hold onto the side of his face before she pulled him closer to deepen the kiss.

After a few moments, he gently pulled away and held her head under his chin in a loose hug. "I can't possibly understand what it must have done to you- to never be able to have children… I know you want a family, and it must be depressing… But, well, I think this might count as something." He said, holding her tighter.

"Yeah, it does," Natasha muttered softly, leaning against him for a few moments. What did she ever do to deserve somebody as great as him? Her thoughts weren't able to expand when she heard the usual sound of a phone buzzing; she knew it wasn't hers- hers was off in her room, so it had to be Steve's. She made no attempt to answer it; she knew this call wouldn't be as nice as having Bucky on the other end. There was a high chance that it was Bruce or related to Bruce in some way.

Steve sighed before reluctantly releasing her to grab the phone. "Hello? What is it, Stark?" He demanded, looking more alert. "Alright, we'll be there." He hung up. "That was Stark- we have a mission."

"What kind of mission?" Natasha questioned, remaining seated. She knew Bruce was at Stark's and did _not_ want to go there.

"Undercover- the rest will be explained at the briefing. Let's get ready." He stood and began searching through his dresser for something.

"I think I'm going to sit this one out; my back isn't completely healed, Bucky isn't properly settled in yet, and I haven't properly worked with Wanda or Sam since nearly getting blown up." Natasha told him, standing up and stretching.

Steve paused to look at her disbelievingly. "Since when has injury or training ever stopped you from at least going to the briefing?"

"Since-" She paused, letting out a sigh. "Bruce is at Stark's, and I'd rather not face him just yet." She admitted before adding, "I don't want to leave the base unmanned with everything that's going on, either."

His eyes widened. "Banner's there? How do you know? Tony didn't mention anything about it."

"He called me earlier, said he wanted to talk. I said no, I told him I was too busy to fly all the way to Stark's so we could talk," Natasha rolled her eyes in frustration.

"What did he want to talk about?" Steve asked somewhat suspiciously. "Why would he want you to fly all the way out there instead of just talking over the phone?"

"I don't know; he refused to tell me. The conversation lasted less than a minute," Natasha informed him. "He didn't mention a mission to me, though."

"That's odd." Steve commented, shoving a boot onto his foot. "You don't think he's trying to get back together with you, is he?" He was obviously trying to sound nonchalant, only barely doing so.

Natasha cracked a smile- that was cute. "Are you getting jealous?" She teased.

"No, I'm not! You're clearly not interested in him anymore, so why would I be jealous?" He asked, ears slightly red.

Natasha's smile widened. "Maybe I _will_ come. This side of you is so… cute." She commented. "But, for your information, I am _not_ interested in him, so it doesn't matter if he did want to get back together with me; the answer would be no."

"Good." Steve said, putting on his other boot. "And I am _not_ cute! _Captain America_ is _not_ cute!" He defended, ears even brighter red.

"I'm not dating Captain America, I'm dating Steve Rogers," Natasha pointed out.

A smile tugged at his lips. "Are you going to come? I never thought anything would stop you from going on a mission- especially a _man_."

Natasha opened her mouth in surprise, a smile turning up the corners of her lips. She loved this side of Steve. "Let me go grab my go-bag… oh, and if you leave me alone with Bruce, we'll have some issues."

A small smiled pulled at the corners of his lips even more. "Understood, Ma'am." He saluted teasingly and pulled on his gauntlets.

Natasha held back a joke. "I'll meet you at the quinjet." She told him before walking out of his room.

"Yes, Ma'am." He called after her.

* * *

Natasha switched all of the controls off, taking her sweet time. The longer this took, hopefully, the less time she would have to stay here. She was tempted to ask Steve if they could go- they had turned up, after all. But he had already stood up and was waiting patiently for her. After a few more long- but not long enough for her liking- moments, she stood up too and stepped out of the cockpit.

"I wonder what Bruce needs to talk to you about." Steve said curiously.

Natasha shrugged, although she had hundreds of options swimming around her mind. "I'm not here for that- I'm here for the mission." She said as she saw Tony and Bruce waiting at the door on the roof.

"Took you long enough," Tony complained, swirling the drink in his hand. Bruce stepped forward and gave Steve a quick hug in greeting.

"Hey, Steve! Been awhile!" He exclaimed. Steve smiled.

"Good to see you're in one piece, Banner."

Bruce turned to Natasha, smile shrinking slightly. "Hey, Natasha. Thanks for coming."

Natasha crossed her arms and stared him down. "What was so important that you had to get Steve to drag me out of my room, half naked?" She half made up. She just knew that two of the three blokes standing there would get at least slightly awkward at that accusation. Although that line made it appear she was here to talk- while she was here, she might as well hear what he had to say.

Tony said nothing, but waggled his eyebrows at Steve. Bruce was staring.

Steve blushed a little, elbowing her in the arm. "She's just kidding… She was fully clothed."

"Steve, they're big boys-I don't think they'll care if you've seen me naked. Well, Tony would be jealous since he never got that far with me when we first met," Natasha teased. She knew she was being vindictive, but she didn't care.

Unlike the reactions from Steve that she'd grown used to, Tony shrugged and grinned wickedly. "The only reason we never got that far was because you were too violent for my taste." He teased.

"Oh, we both know that that turned you on," Natasha teased before sobering. "So? What's the mission?"

"Well, I was hoping to speak with you before we got down to that part… alone." Bruce said. Tony took the hint and grabbed Steve- who put up some resistance, but not much- dragging him inside and closing the door behind them.

Natasha glared at the door violently; thanks a lot, Steve. She turned her attention to Bruce, making sure there was a reasonable distance between them. "Are you dying?" She questioned bitterly.

The question seemed to take him by surprise. "Wait- what? No. I-"

"Found the love of your life?" Natasha inputted, and, without breaking, added another suggestion. "You knocked somebody up?"

"You _know_ I physically can't-"

"Then what is it that you _forced_ me to fly over an hour to come here, in the middle of the night, for?" Natasha demanded and then fell quiet, giving him the chance to explain himself.

He took a breath. "I need your help- my friend, Betty Ross, went missing. I have a few suspicions on who took her, but to verify I need someone to go undercover and carefully extract the information." He explained.

"And you couldn't tell me this over the phone? That would have been a lot better; I could prepare myself instead of flying over here." Natasha retorted, but slipped straight into her professional stance. "What type of undercover mission is it? How many are you wanting to send in? Who's the target? Is this a kill or purely informational extraction?" She began listing questions related to the mission.

"The target is Mark Kingsley. He's a big business CEO that has a history with Betty that makes kidnapping her something he wouldn't hesitate to do. I need at least four of you to infiltrate the party he's throwing in two days- two as guests, one to work surveillance and another to provide emergency backup. You just need to make friends with him and gain his trust- this might take time, but he wouldn't kill Betty- not yet, anyway- so we're not overly pushed for time."

"If this is mission talk, we need Tony and Steve." Natasha commented as she walked to the door.

"Wait!" He called, catching her wrist. "Tony's briefing Steve. There's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

Natasha pulled her wrist out of his grip quickly and stepped away from him, holding a slightly defensive pose- she hated being manhandled. "Which is?" She sighed. "I don't have all night."

He seemed flustered as he gathered his thoughts and spoke. "I wanted to talk about what happened between us."

"Don't." Natasha replied. "It's in the past; let's just pretend it never happened, okay? We tried, it didn't work. No need to talk about it."

Bruce seemed crestfallen. "But there _is_ a need to talk about it! What if… what if we could repair it?" He asked hopefully.

"Bruce." Natasha sighed regretfully. "I-I'm not sure if I want to. Not right now, anyway- I'm… I'm kinda seeing somebody." She admitted. She didn't want to talk to him; she hated awkward conversations, especially when the person was asking about her feelings. At least she got better than trying to shoot anybody who asked- like she had done with Clint.

His eyes widened. "What? Who?"

"It doesn't matter. You left, I took that as you wanted to end things. You didn't return any of my calls- It's been _months_." Natasha took another step backwards.

"I didn't want to risk hurting you! I only came back because I can control _him_ now, so I was willing to give us another shot." He defended.

"We have a mission to prepare for; this conversation can wait," Natasha decided. "And next time you wanted to talk to somebody about getting back together, don't first ask them to help rescue your _ex-girlfriend_." She advised before turning around and walking to the door, pulling it open with force.

"Natasha-" Bruce called after her, but was ignored.

She walked down into Tony's lab. "Thanks for that, you two." She greeted sarcastically.

"Uh-oh, she's mad!" Tony chirped innocently from the corner, where he was recalibrating something-or-other.

"Nat, what's wrong? Did Banner say something bad?" Steve asked in concern.

Natasha sent Steve a glare before turning to the screen. "When are we planning on infiltrating?" She asked, not answering Steve's question.

He sighed before also turning to the screen. "In two days. The party starts at nine and lasts four hours. It's being held at Kingsley's house, and there are over one hundred guests expected." He explained.

Natasha eyes narrowed at something. "What's that?"

"That is the footage we have of Betty's abduction." Tony answered.

"Then it's not Kingsley- at least, he's not the main guy. I recognise this…" Natasha told them as she stepped to the computer and began pulling up files. "I worked on a human trafficking case a couple of years ago. Led by this man, John Roth. I broke down a few of the lower rings before being called onto a more pressing mission." She informed them.

"What's more pressing than human trafficking?" Steve asked.

She looked at him. "Child hostage." She turned back to the screen. "We never were able to land him, but now that S.H.I.E.L.D. has dismantled, they might have- Ah-ha! They have a party in 19 hours."

"I'll get you invited," Tony stated.

"It'll have to be bigger than that; if she was taken within the last week, there's a high chance she'll be in the building- he likes to hold onto the newly abducted women for a few days."

"Has he seen you?"

Natasha shook her head, "Like I said, the mission was cut short." She pursed her lips slightly. "It's a big party, so it'll be easy to blend in. Two-man team on the inside, one to keep a general eye on the surroundings, the other focused on the target. It looks like a civilised and big place, so, we should get somebody in on the waitor staff, too- have them have a nosy around. We should have a team of one or two to stand nearby in a vehicle to offer a quick escape."

Bruce finally walked into the room. "What's happening?"

* * *

 **Well! Let me know what you think :D**

 **Question: Do you all like me randomly updating every few days. or would you prefer it to be more steady, so... I'd update constantly on a Wednesday and Sunday, for example? Let me know!**


	7. The Mission

**Author's Note:**

 **Staggers back, Woah! Hello... I am outstanding by the _amazing_ response ****on the last chapter! It was my favourite, but I didn't expect _fifteen_ reviews. That is incredible! Thank you so much! If I had finished the chapter, I would have posted it the second I got ten reviews! Amazing! Thank you, thank you: Sportsfan64; autiger94; grossly-sweet; baibe; Moustache123; Guest; IndianSweetGirl; RomanogersLucifer; Steelers; Steelers; DassaChan; Amy Hamato; Guest; Romanogers95; Guest; princess2015. **

**Thank you to every single person who is reading this story and reading this line! You are amazing :D**

* * *

Natasha turned around and made sure her dress was fitted correctly. She adjusted it before turning around and pulling out her red lipstick.

"Natasha, have you seen my- Woah." Steve cut himself off as he looked up from tying his tie. "You're gorgeous." He complimented genuinely, moving to stand beside her.

Natasha glanced at him in the mirror; he looked pretty good. "What are you looking for?" She asked coldly.

Steve blinked, confused. "Um… my sock?" He lifted his bare foot and wiggled his toes for emphasis. "It just… disappeared. Seen it?"

She turned around after doing her lips and slipped the lipstick into her small bag. "You've lost one sock? And thought I'd know where it was?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow before walking out of the room and returning with a different pair of men's socks. "Just put on a pair of Stark's socks."

He sighed and reluctantly did as told, almost falling over at one point. "Thanks."

"What happened earlier?" Natasha demanded, resting one hand on her hip as she pursed her lips at him.

Steve stood by her side again, cocking his head in question. Natasha secretly found this to be very attractive. "What happened _when_? Did I do something?" He asked obliviously.

"You said that you wouldn't leave me with Bruce. We were barely here a _minute_ before you _abandoned_ me," Natasha reminded him. She knew the word 'abandoned' was a tad dramatic, but she didn't care. She was pissed at him for breaking his promise- how was she supposed to depend on him in any way when he does that?

"Oh, _that_." Steve said. "I am _so_ sorry about that. Stark was practically dragging me."

"We _both_ know he doesn't have the strength to move you without his Iron Man suit." Natasha commented with a frown. She slipped on one high heel and picked up the other one. "He didn't make the promise- _you_ did."

Steve rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "He might not have been stronger than me, but he _is_ more knowledgeable with relationships than me, and he told me that it was for the best if I let you handle it in privacy." He admitted.

"He was wrong," Natasha started, slipping on her other high heel. "And he might be engaged, but he is the _worst_ person to get advice from. Next time, just ask Clint." She turned and headed out of the room, ready for the mission.

Steve followed behind her, grabbing up his shoes and slipping them on quickly as they went. "Alright, sorry."

"'Sorry' doesn't just fix everything, Steve." She shot back over her shoulder. She'd _known_ coming here was a bad idea.

"But it's an _attempt_ to fix everything, and it's better than not bothering." He shot back at her, though his tone was lighter than hers.

Natasha spun around, her hand on his chest to stop him. "We have a mission- how about we focus on that? We can talk about this later."

"Fine." Steve agreed with a loud exhale.

She rolled her eyes and strutted away from him; all men were complete idiots.

* * *

Steve adjusted his sleeve before offering his arm to Natasha as they stood at the foot of the large staircase. "Ready?" He asked.

"We should go in separately," Natasha decided. "It'll make more sense. Keep your eyes open." She ascended the stairs quickly and elegantly.

He nodded, more to himself than to her, and ascended much more slowly.

"Ditched you already? Tut tut," Clint muttered in his ear through the comms.

"Shut up, Barton." Steve retorted in a harsh whisper to avoid raising suspicion from anyone nearby. "It's strategic."

"Sure, it's not like-" Clint started.

"Hawkeye," Came a very quiet and sharp jab from Nat, effectively silencing Clint before a sweet and flirtatious voice appeared. "Hello, I'm Nadine Ryans. Thank you."

Steve saw her walk into the building without any hassle.

"Well, Cap? You gonna stand there uselessly all night?" Tony teased over the comms.

"Tony, leave him be." Rhodey scolded.

"But he's-"

"Shut UP!" Steve snapped, silencing the two. He had reached the top of the stairs and was now in the midst of a milling crowd.

"Widow, your target's at the top of the stairs," Clint whispered.

"Copy that."

"Be careful," Steve cautioned her before making his way through the people.

"Not my first mission," Natasha muttered.

"Yeah, Steve- you're not her mother." Tony teased again.

"I'll monitor the perimeter." Steve decided, navigating to the edge of the crowd.

Natasha stumbled on the stairs, one hand gently grabbing the target to steady herself. "Are you okay there?"

"Sorry, these shoes are a killer. Can't quite manage stairs yet," Natasha replied softly. She was helped to the top of the stairs.

"Those are some impressive legs," John Roth admired. "I'm glad you decided to attend my party."

"G- Be careful, Natasha." Steve growled ever-so-slightly.

"Your party? It's my pleasure. A lot busier than I expected it to be," She gave a sigh. "I probably shouldn't stay around too long."

"How about we go somewhere a little less busy- would that be better to your taste?" He asked her, igniting a giggle as she leant against him.

"She's in," Clint muttered. "I'm heading out of the room."

"Remember, Romanoff- you're elegantly horny right now, so act like it!" Tony advised, earning an audible slap from Rhodey. "What? Works on all upper-class men!" He defended. Steve bristled but kept his mouth tightly shut; he'd assured Natasha that he didn't view undercover work as cheating, and he was determined to stand by his words.

Roth snaked a hand around her waist as he lead her out of the room. "I'd love to see your tie on the ground." Natasha whispered in a husky voice.

"That can be arranged. Any preferences?" He replied.

"I like a bad boy; have you done anything illegal?" Natasha muttered, her voice muffled slightly.

This was making Steve immeasurably uncomfortable. "Be careful, Natasha." He said. Damn, was that the only phrase he knew? Gah! He sounded like a paranoid father!

"Calm your old man tits, Cap." Tony scolded.

"Shut up!" Steve replied.

"Stop talking or she'll take her comm out," Clint advised.

"I've killed people," The target muttered, "How's that for bad?"

"Do you have the bodies?" Natasha muttered. There was the sound of kissing.

"No… but I could kill a few right now for you." He offered.

"Ooh… That's quite an offer." Tony crooned.

"Nat, so we're clear, you're _not_ asking him to kill someone." Steve disciplined.

Natasha moaned. "Like grabbing one of the guests and chopping their heads off?" She questioned.

"Nah; got some losers in my basement. No one will miss them."

"Got that. Keep him busy," Clint said.

"You have three guards waiting in the basement, Clint- be careful." Tony, for once focusing on the mission, informed.

"Not a problem," Clint muttered. There were three quiet _pop_ s. "Betty? Got them- you're free, Widow."

There was a loud crash. "Took your time. This guy was slobbering all over me! Meet you out front."

"Copy that." Steve replied, relieved that he didn't have to listen to Natasha being… _inappropriate_ … anymore. He walked at a controlled pace for the exit, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

"I've got three other women," Clint informed them all. "Swing the van around to the west exit."

"On it!" Tony said distractedly. There was the sound of tires squealing.

"Try to be discreet about it, Stark!" Steve snapped.

"What's the point? Mission's completed." Tony shot back.

"The mission is not complete until we get at least a mile away without being followed." Clint and Natasha muttered in unison.

"Yeesh, creepy much?" Tony muttered. "Alright, Clint, Betty, and the others are on board. Proceed to rendezvous."

"Copy that."

There was a _bang_ and then a door opening.

"Jeez! Did you just jump onto the van?!" Rhodey exclaimed. There was no reply, but Steve could just imagine Natasha's pointed look at him for stating the obvious.

"Cap, where are you?" Clint asked.

"On my way!" He answered, picking up his pace as soon as he was out the door. He easily found the van and jumped in. "Go! Go!" He could hear footsteps running towards them.

Tony slammed on the accelerator and sped down the street.

Natasha turned to him, looking away from the twenty-year-old she was patching up and keeping stable. "What happened to 'discreetly'?"

He shrugged, unbuttoning his jacket. "I got tired of being here- let's just get back to the base."

She rolled her eyes before turning back to the woman. Clint sent him a smirk. "You mean Stark's?"

* * *

Natasha walked out of the room. She hated that the women seemed more comfortable around her- she was the one that probably cared _least_ about them. But now that they had all finally succumbed to sleep whilst Tony was arranging transport for them to all get back to their respective families or homes, she could leave. She appeared to be wandering the halls, but she was actually seeking out Steve. She needed to have some serious words with him.

Although, as she noticed Bruce sitting alone- she had presumed he would have been with Betty- she approached him. "Bruce, what are you doing here?"

Bruce looked up at her and she noticed the mild surprised look on his face. "I told you, I have more control over… the Hulk. And…"

"No." Natasha stopped him. "Why aren't you with Betty?"

His face showed more surprise before turning slightly solemn. "Tony will make sure they all get home safely."

"I think she'd like to see you," Natasha commented.

"What good would that do?" Bruce asked. "The last time I saw her… She wouldn't want to see me. I'm a monster."

Natasha paused for a moment. "No, you're not." She told him firmly. "A monster wouldn't have dropped whatever he was doing to come back and send a whole team to rescue an ex-girlfriend. That is a trait of a good man."

Bruce nodded lightly, but she had a feeling that he wouldn't go. "When did you stop seeing me as a monster? You've seen what I become- what I've done."

"That doesn't make you a monster. If you were one, then we'd be locking you up, not helping you." Natasha told him simply. "You were willing to have a relationship with me; maybe you should let your heart open to Betty again- it might surprise you."

"You've changed," Bruce observed.

Natasha stared at him blankly for a moment before standing up. "Talk to Betty- if not for yourself, then for her. She deserves at least a familiar face right now."

That last part obviously got to him- it was easy to see in his expression. She turned and walked out, not bothering to even spare a glance back at him. As soon as she was farther away from him, she started feeling like she should have spoken to him about their former relationship and made sure they were still friends. But she was too stubborn to go back. It'd be fine.

* * *

Natasha finally found him in one of the more out-of-the way hallways. He noticed her almost immediately. "Hey, Natasha." He greeted, meeting her halfway.

"Hi." She greeted shortly, probably a bit more wound up now than she had been during the mission. "I understand that relationships involve the whole caring and sensitive crap- I do. But when we are on a mission, you are Captain America and I am the Black Widow- I don't need to be reminded every five fucking _seconds_ to be careful. Do you understand me? I am not some damsel in distress for you to rescue! I can handle myself, and if you ever do that, _ever_ again, it will be the _last_ mission I ever go on with you. Do you understand?" She asked furiously.

Steve paled considerably, his brows furrowed. "I… Natasha, you have to understand that that was all I could think of to say… Hearing you-" He cut off, clenching a fist.

"Why the hell would you have to say anything? I knew what I was doing! I'm not a recruit or a trainee going on her first mission- I'm a _professional_!" Natasha informed him strongly before letting out an angry whiff of air. She had wanted to take out her comm during the mission after the first time he said it, but knew she couldn't, and when the third 'be careful' came, she had been ready to kill him.

He took a deep breath, too. "I know. I'm sorry. It was uncalled for and unwanted, so I'm sorry." He said slowly and deliberately, face red. "I let my emotions get the better of me in a tense situation."

She sighed. She didn't want to ask, but was all too curious. "What do you mean by, 'let your emotions get the better of you'?" She questioned, crossing her arms. Why was that an excuse for him underestimating her skills all of a sudden?

He got even redder, clearly contemplating not answering. Thankfully, it seemed his sense of honesty won out. "Hearing you getting… intimate… with our target evoked a strong emotional response from me." He said reluctantly.

Natasha scoffed, a half smirk, half smile making its way to her lips. "You got jealous? That was you being jealous- again?" She questioned, laughing slightly. "That's incredible," She muttered, far more amused about this than she probably should have been.

Steve spluttered. "What? No! I told you that I didn't-" He choked down the rest of that sentence. "Okay, so _maybe_ I was a little jealous. I was trying to avoid all-out saying 'Get away from that pervert', but the only thing I could think of was 'be careful'."

"Next time I have to flirt with a target, how about you stay home?" Natasha suggested, a massive smile still gracing her lips.

"No! I promise to restrain myself next time." He swore. "But staying home would just make it worse- if I can't see what's happening, I'm guaranteed to call you twice as much."

"I'll just have my phone off," Natasha negotiated with a tilt of her head. She checked the time. "If we leave now, we can have at least six hours of sleep before I have to get up to train Bucky." She calculated.

"Did you want to head back now?" Steve asked as he lifted one hand to touch her hair, but slowly retracted it at her glare. "No touching?"

"Not here- anybody could walk by. We're not going public with this, remember?" Natasha reminded him.

"Yet," Steve countered. "And who cares if anybody sees me moving some hair out of your face?" He questioned.

Natasha glared at him, but this time, it didn't deter him from ducking his head and kissing her- which she returned, against her better judgement. Unfortunately, she heard the footsteps too late. Finally noticing them, she stepped back quickly, putting a good few feet between her and Steve. Although, from the look on Bruce's face, he'd seen.

"Hey, Bruce," Steve greeted, surprisingly composed- she wasn't sure if that was better than being flustered or not.

"I'll see you on the quinjet," Natasha started, turning and walking straight off.

"It's the other way…" She heard Steve's voice, but ignored him.

* * *

Steve watched Natasha walk off- pretty quickly, which was impressive as she was still in those super-high heels. "It's the other way… to the quinjet." He turned to Bruce and smiled.

"You and Natasha are-" Bruce waved his hands around in some attempt to represent what he was getting at. "Together?"

Steve glanced down the corridor down which Natasha just left- now he understood why. What was he allowed to say? He turned back to his teammate, ignoring the varying emotions he could see in the man's eyes. "Uhm… Yes, yes we are." He said succinctly.

Bruce smiled tightly. "That's nice… Good-uh-" He paused, looking away. "You both deserve to be happy."

Steve was feeling just as awkward, actually twiddling his thumbs in some attempt to distract himself from it. "Thanks." He muttered. Then he perked up a little as he thought of something. "What about you and that Betty girl? She seems nice- and I saw the way she was looking at you."

"I was just heading to speak to her," Bruce answered. "Have a safe flight home." With that, he turned and walked off, presumably continuing to his original destination.

"O-kay, then…" Steve murmured to himself, glad it was over. He turned to fetch Natasha and get her going in the _actual_ direction of the quinjet.

She appeared in the hallway. "Let's go. I don't have all night." She commented as she walked past him and through the door.

"Yes, Ma'am." He replied, following her.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **And Sportsfan64- there we go, mission, done. :) Hope it was to your satisfaction!**

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	8. I'm sorry

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello there! I am honestly astonished by the amazing response I've received recently for this story! It was completely unexpected but I am so thankful for all of you. Every single follow, fav and review just feels my heart with warmth and there is no better feeling than my phone going off informing me of another review! It is incredible! So, thank you all, very, very much!**

 **As I write more, I just feel more myself (Even though I'm writing as other characters, haha). So, thank you all :D**

 **How about I stop blabbering on and let you all get to the story? Yeah, that's a good idea! :)**

* * *

Steve strolled through the tiny shop casually, perusing the shelves for something he could get for Natasha. The woman had been angry with him the entire morning, either stabbing him with icy glares or snapping at him over the simplest things. To be honest, he was afraid for his own safety at this point. So he had decided that the smartest thing he could do was offer the sincerest, most loving apology he could muster. And that generally required a little gift of some sort.

His eyes caught on a stuffed bear with pink fur holding a red heart in its hands that said 'I Love You Beary Much'. He chuckled quietly and continued on. The shop was full of odds and ends of all varieties, so chances were that he'd find something.

Steve finally found a small corner full of everything he'd need: heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and a plethora of flowers of all colors and sizes. He selected a small bouquet of fake purple roses, a single real red rose, and a small box of chocolates.

* * *

Natasha's fists pounded against the punching bag, her hair freely swishing around with her movements. She had drowned everything out and just focused on the light burn across her knuckles and the cool wetness of the sweat down her back and on her forehead.

The door suddenly squeaked open, revealing a hesitant-looking Steve. "Can I come in?" He asked, even though this was a public room.

Natasha gave the bag one last heavy punch before stepping away from it. "You may." She replied before she began unwrapping her hands and stepping towards her bag and water bottle.

Steve marched in and went right to her, hands behind his back. "Natasha, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry." He apologized seriously. Then he smiled. "And I got you something to prove it."

Natasha sighed, picking up a towel for her sweat and taking a few sips of water. She didn't particularly want to talk about this right now- or ever. "What is that?" She questioned, turning to face him.

His smile widened as he brought his arms out in front of him, revealing several colorful gifts, including flowers and a box of chocolate. "I picked these out just for you." He said, handing them to her eagerly. "And that rose was freshly picked."

Natasha blinked as she stared down at the 'gifts' in her hands for a few moments. "You brought me… chocolates and flowers?" She asked, looking up at him, a hint of confusion making its way to her face. She didn't think that people did this in real life.

"Yes I did! Like 'em?" Steve responded cheerfully. "I was hoping they'd help to convey how sorry I really am." He added.

She looked at him, almost struggling to not react and just laugh at the gifts. "What exactly are you apologising for?" She questioned, testing him.

"Well, for two things: one was doubting your skills and professionalism, and the other was leaving you alone with Bruce even when I promised I wouldn't." He answered easily.

Natasha nodded. "I would have preferred a new knife or weapon, but these'll do." She replied, turning the chocolates over and examining them- was she supposed to eat them right away? She mentally shrugged and put both of the gifts in her bag. "Thanks."

His grin was almost ear-to-ear. "You're welcome." He replied. "Does this mean I'm forgiven, M'lady?" He showily knelt before her, head bowed.

"Cut it out with that crap," Natasha ordered. "But yes, I won't hold it against you- unless you do either of them again."

Steve got back to his feet. "Understood." Then he grabbed her and hugged her to his chest. "Glad we're alright again."

Natasha let him hug her. He was really one of a kind. She pulled out of it slightly. "Kissing works better than hugging." She advised with a cheeky smile.

He raised his eyebrows before smiling. "Oh, really? I might just have to test that theory." Then he leaned down and kissed her.

Natasha held his head so she could deepen and control the kiss more efficiently- if all disagreements ended like this, then she didn't mind them so much. Also, Steve practically grovelling at her feet was very nice- she knew that's why she'd held the grudge against him a little longer than she would have if it were Clint- or anybody else, really.

* * *

Bucky looked up from his book when Steve sleepily trudged into his room, dropping onto the couch.

"Why are you up so early?" Bucky asked his friend, marking his page and putting the book aside. "You need to sleep more than four hours, Steve."

Steve looked at him incredulously. "Me? What are _you_ doing up so early? _I_ got up to do a security check and just so happened to see your lights were on." He defended.

Bucky sighed. "Insomnia's a bitch." Was his blunt answer. Between the nightmares, constant paranoia and other PTSD symptoms, _plus_ his still being unused to this place, he had a lot to keep him awake at night. He'd gotten maybe three hours' worth of sleep before waking up at one in the morning, and it wasn't until two AM rolled by that he decided that trying to fall back asleep was pointless. So he'd picked up a book- _Harry Potter_ , one of the highly recommended series his comrades had suggested- and had read for almost two hours in the comfort of his single recliner, wrapped in thick blankets to battle the morning chill.

His friend seemed almost as tired as he was- his eyes were bloodshot and were rimmed with bags. Steve was nodding in sympathy. "Don't I know it." He lamented with a snort. "Was it the AC again?"

Bucky internally winced. Yes, it _had_ been the AC again- after what he'd been through, he'd become a very light sleeper, and the air conditioner starting up at various intervals during the night always managed to have him shooting up with a hand reaching for whatever weapon of choice the Winter Soldier had hidden under his pillow that night. The hum of machinery the system made didn't help matters, reminding him of HYDRA's plethora of torturous technology waiting just outside of his tiny sleeping quarters. It always took him several minutes to calm down again, and with the rushes of adrenaline, it usually took awhile for him to find the will to go back to sleep- sometimes he didn't sleep at all, opting to read instead.

"Yeah," He admitted sheepishly. Steve just nodded again, though he was frowning.

"I really need to have Stark look into that- maybe upgrade it so it's soundless. Sorry about that, Buck." He said. Bucky dipped his head understandingly.

"It's alright; this book is good, so I don't mind staying up to read." He held up _The Order of the Phoenix_.

Steve chuckled. "Yeah, that's a good one. Remember reading _Of Mice and Men_ in school? That book was…" He trailed off.

"Messed up." Bucky supplied. "That one guy accidentally killing that sausage-curl girl? That was terrible. Also, I always felt like there was some hidden meaning behind everything that I never could grasp. I was so frustrated, but Miss Denin _still_ made us read it!"

"Ha, I remember that!" Steve exclaimed. "And then you nearly had a fit when we moved on to _Animal Farm_!"

Bucky blushed the tiniest bit. "It wasn't a _fit_ \- more of an almost-debate. The book was so dumb!" He defended himself.

"It's amazing how that's almost exactly what you said to the teacher. 'This book is so dumb! Let's read something with real _action_!'" Steve continued to tease. Bucky faintly remembered Miss Denin's response to his objections- he'd been the only student in the entire class who had to both read the book _and_ write an essay on it. He shuddered.

"At least _I_ didn't come up with the dumbest excuses to get out of exercising." He shot back, enjoying Steve's falter. "'I lost my shoe!' 'My knees are too achy!'" He rubbed a fist under his eye with his lip curled in a mock-crying face. "Mr. Johnson _hated_ having you in his class!"

Instead of rising to the bait, Steve just laughed. It wasn't long before Bucky was joining him.

"School was _terrible_ in the forties." Steve stated. Bucky smiled.

"That's the understatement of the year." There was a comfortable silence between them for several minutes after that, Bucky marveling over the fact that they were talking about their school days- that felt like they'd only been a few years ago- several decades after the fact. It was hard to believe sometimes.

To stop that melancholy train of thought, Bucky asked, "So how're things with Natasha?"

Steve smiled genuinely and adjusted to be more comfortable in his seat. "Good, mostly. There have been a few communication issues and a few fights, but we've been good." He answered wistfully. Then he looked to Bucky again. "Hey, got any relationship advice for me?"

Bucky was surprised for a second. Why-? "Well, girls like being flattered…" He searched his brain for more. "They like being the center of your world, but they also like their space, too. They appreciate the little things you do for them."

"What kinds of little things?" Steve asked, curious.

Bucky thought it over. "Well, cleaning up, cooking, buying little gifts, making breakfast in bed, helping-"

"Breakfast in bed, huh? I can do that." Steve interrupted, smile growing.

Bucky chuckled. "That's the one you're going with? Make sure you get to her early."

Steve nodded. "Good idea. I could do it… tomorrow. Tomorrow _is_ the anniversary of us meeting! Who knows? She might actually like it." He stood and made his way to the exit. "I'll let you get some sleep. Thank you, Buck. I can always count on you."

Bucky smiled fondly and shook his head, going back to his book.

* * *

Steve sneakily crept from the kitchen, tray carefully balanced on his hands. The glass of orange juice rattled precariously, making him stop for a moment to shift it towards the center of the tray for better balance. He then continued his trek down the hallways until he had reached Natasha's door. He carefully balanced his burden on one hand and used the other to knock.

There was a quick, short reply. "Enter."

Steve eased the door open and went in, navigating the dark room until he'd reached Natasha's bedside. Using his free hand, he turned on the nearby lamp, revealing Natasha, still in bed.

She was staring at him, obviously having no intention of moving just yet. "Mission?" She questioned.

He smiled cheekily and lifted the tray in his hands to draw her attention to it. "Not quite." He said. "Now, where can I put this?"

Natasha pushed herself up into a seated position. "What is it?" She asked before taking the tray carefully and placing it on the bed beside her. "Breakfast? It's not even six in the morning."

"I had to catch you before you got out of bed, and you always wake up insanely early…" Steve said as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Happy anniversary." He added.

Natasha's eyebrows furrowed together in utter confusion. "We've been dating, like… 17 days. _That's_ an anniversary?"

Steve smiled wider and shook his head. "No. But we've known each other for years- _that's_ an anniversary." He scooted closer. "Today is the anniversary of the day we first met."

There was a second where she stared at him blankly before nodding with a small smile. "You're right. I didn't know that was an anniversary… Clint owes me a few breakfasts in bed." She looked down at the tray again and then at him. "Bon Apetite?"

"Guten appetit." He replied, taking a napkin from his pocket as a second thought and handing it to her.

Natasha accepted the napkin, a small look of confusion gracing her face, like she was still trying to work out what was actually happening. "Thanks." She placed the napkin on her lap and picked up the glass of orange juice, taking a sip of it.

"I even made some pancakes- and none of them went out the window this time!" Steve exclaimed, quite proud of that fact.

"Wow, you deserve a medal," Natasha commented, the playful-sarcastic tone evident. She took another sip of the orange juice. "I've never had somebody bring me breakfast in bed- it's weird."

"A _good_ weird?" He asked with raised brows.

"A… _strange_ weird," Natasha answered. "I don't… why do people eat in bed at all?" She asked him. Instantly, he knew it was a serious question.

"Well… it's a way for people to show appreciation by making you food and allowing you to eat it in bed without having to leave the comfort of your blankets. Eating it is a way of showing your appreciation for the appreciation." Steve informed. He gestured to the small pile of french toast sticks (he'd found them in the freezer and had added them to the meal) in silent question- _can I have one_?

"Beds are for sleeping and other _activities_ … but eating?" She shrugged. "And yes, eat away, please. It's too early for me to eat all of that, anyway."

He nodded gratefully and took a few from the plate- he hadn't eaten yet in his haste to get the food to Natasha before she woke up. "It's traditional." He said after he'd swallowed a mouthful of french toast stick.

She picked one of them up, taking a bite. "If you say so." She slid over on the bed, pulling the tray with her. "Sit on the bed properly," She offered- well, it sounded more like an order.

He agreed and shifted to sit beside her. "Has no one really ever made you breakfast in bed before?" He asked in mild shock.

Natasha shook her head. "No. I once stopped Cooper and Lila from setting fire to Clint's kitchen when they were trying to make their parents breakfast. But that's the closest, I guess."

Steve shook his head in disapproval. "Well, that's no good! I'll have to fix that- from now on, even the most insignificant holidays will include breakfast in bed." He declared. She couldn't miss out on the beauty of eating without having to get up in the morning!

"Oh… well, I suppose I could make you breakfast in bed, too," Natasha thought for a moment. "Anniversary of… meeting, first undercover work, first mission together, first time taking down aliens, Halloween, Christmas, your birthday, St Patrick's day…" She drifted off.

He smiled. "And you'll have it on National Do Nothing Day, Peanut Butter Lover's Day, and Appreciate a Dragon Day."

"I think that with _that_ many holidays, breakfast in bed won't be as special as it is now… it'll still be weird, but just a regular thing. Something predictable."

"True… Maybe _only_ on Appreciate a Dragon Day, then." He negotiated.

Natasha nodded. "Oh, that's definitely important." She agreed playfully as she ate some of one pancake, instantly going back to drinking her orange juice.

Steve chuckled and picked up a strawberry, studying it a moment before offering it to her. "I'm not sure if I cut these correctly, but…"

"You can't cut a strawberry incorrectly," She assured him, her hand covering his as she bit the strawberry straight from his fingers.

Well _that_ wasn't what he'd had in mind… "Trust me, I'm a professional at finding ways to do things incorrectly."

Natasha leant back against the headboard. "It tasted fine to me, so you didn't mess that up." She commented.

"That's very reassuring- I didn't mess up the taste of something I had no part in flavouring." He joked. "With my luck, the rest of the meal turned out exactly the opposite." He pulled a face and popped a strawberry into his mouth.

Natasha smiled, eating another strawberry. "You know know what I think normal couples would do right about now?" She asked him, rhetorically, but then seemed to wait for an answer.

"Um…" He thought over it, but nothing came to mind. "I dunno. What?"

"Sharing a kiss," Natasha answered.

"Re-" He was cut off as she pulled him into a kiss, simultaneously sliding the tray out of the way. He offered no resistance and soon sound himself on his back with Natasha on top of him- this was nothing like sparring. He loved the fact that all of her weight was on him; it was a level of intimacy which he appreciated. One of his hands rested on her hip and the other on her lower back; they both simply remained there- what else were you supposed to do when somebody was lying on top of you as you made out?

* * *

Later that day, Steve was searching the compound for Natasha; he had a 'mission' of sorts that he wanted to discuss with her. A nearby school had requested that a few Avengers visit their fifth-through-eighth-grade students to discuss safety and laws. Seeing as he and Natasha were the only Avengers currently available, he'd agreed to ask her if she'd do it with him.

He found her in the gym, going through a series of stretches.

"Hey, Natasha?" He asked, approaching.

Natasha glanced up, not moving out of her position. "Hey, Steve."

He jumped right to the topic at hand. "So, a friend of mine who's close friends with a grade school superintendent asked me if any Avengers were available to visit a local school and talk about safety, so I was wondering if you-"

"Nope."

"Are you sure? You don't want to see those cute little faces? It would really boost public opinion of the Avengers as a whole, too." He questioned, not wanting to let this one go yet.

Natasha sighed, sliding out of one position and into another, holding it easily. "Steve. Unless I'm saving those children from a burning building or aliens, there is no way it'll be _good_ publicity." She rationalised.

"How? You're such a pessimist, you know that?" He asked. Unbelievable! How could teaching _children_ about _safety_ possibly get bad publicity?

"I think us turning up together to something like that would make people speculate that we're a couple- which I'm not ready for people to think yet." Natasha stated as she stood up. "You can go; they'd love to see Captain America. Maybe you could take Rhodey- he's worked in the government and would be a lot more productive than I am."

But no, he didn't like the thought of taking Rhodey with him instead of Natasha. "I'll just send Rhodey and Wanda to do it- they're still fairly new so the kids would get a blast out of meeting them."

"Wanda? She's busy. I've just given her permission to head back home and meet up with a few old friends- did you know she had friends?" She shook her head. "Vision has gone to Tony's- it's like his home or something. So just send Rhodey and Sam- Sam's been in the army, so that'll have bonus points." Natasha negotiated aloud.

Steve nodded in agreement. "Alright, it's a plan." He said. "So what would you like to do with all of our free time, then?"

Natasha smirked up at him, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what ideas were swimming around in her head- this would definitely be an interesting time.

* * *

 **A-N: Once again, thank you for reading and getting to the end of the chapter!**

 **I'd love to know if any of you have an ideas for scenes or anything you would like to see? I'm always open to them and if they fit in or I can make it work, I'll definitely give it a go!**

 **Have a great day, week, year, life :D**


	9. Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello everybody! You all amaze me with the response! Incredible! :D I wish I could personally bake you cookies and hand deliver them to each and every one of you! This is up to 80 reviews all together, which is more than I could have imagined! Thank you!**

 **To the reviewers from last chapter, a quick shoutout to you all: IndianSweetGirl; TheJollyRoger; Nat; Sportsfan64; Amy Hamato; loveee; Princess2016; Romanogers95; grossly-sweet; Steelers; RomanogerLaucifer; supesfan18; Moustache123.**

 **Wow, that's a lot!**

* * *

Natasha sprung to a seated position, her gun out and her eyes searching every single shadow of the room. It only took her a few seconds to realise that she wasn't actually in any danger, and only then did she slowly lower her weapon. She kicked the covers off and swung her legs around, off of the bed as she picked up her phone and checked the time: 3AM. Pretty much on the dot.

As she stood up, she grabbed her dressing gown; she knew nobody else would be around right now- only Bucky and Vision were currently on-base. She wandered out of her room and, half an hour later, found herself outside of Steve's door. She pressed her ear against it, tempted to knock but not wanting to wake him up- she momentarily wondered if she had ever knocked on her parents' room after a nightmare… or if she'd even had them long enough to do that. She quickly shook that idea out of her mind.

Pushing his door open silently, she peered in to see if he was awake- he wasn't. After a second's contemplation, she snuck in, closing the door behind her. She decided to occupy the chair in his room- she didn't know why, but it was oddly comforting being in the same room as him right now. She knew there was no logical reason for that- he was asleep and couldn't stop a bullet right now- but she could pretend it made a difference.

Steve stirred slightly after twenty minutes and she pressed herself against the chair, trying to remain hidden- she knew she should have snuck out a few minutes ago. Hopefully he wouldn't wake and she could leave without anybody knowing she had come here.

Unfortunately, it seemed he could tell she was there. "Mgh… N'tasha?" He murmured sleepily, propping himself up on an elbow and trying to wipe the grogginess from his eyes. "W's wrong?"

"Nothing. Go back to sleep," Natasha spoke softly as she smoothly stood. "I was just making sure you were okay," She lied.

It took a few seconds for him to respond, but that might have been the lateness of the hour muddling his brain. "Nightmare?" He asked, losing a bit of the slur he got when first waking up.

"No," Natasha answered coolly. But in her mind she was freaking out- she didn't want him to know she had nightmares. She knew it was normal, but it was also a weakness. She absolutely hated when Clint found out, and now only he and Laura had ever heard her admit to having them. She didn't want to add another person to that list. "Go back to sleep." She ordered.

"What w's it 'bout?" Steve responded, apparently beginning to fall asleep again. His head began to droop ever so slightly.

Natasha didn't reply, just watching how easily he seemed to be able to fall back to sleep. If only she could train herself to do that... but she just wasn't strong enough to go back to the nightmares. She was weak.

Steve seemed to sense the direction in which her thoughts were headed. He lied back down again and held up one side of the blanket. "C'mere." He mumbled, eyelids visibly heavy. He patted the mattress.

She peered around- making sure there was nobody else, no cameras, checking that the curtains were properly closed and the door was fully closed, too. She looked at the bed skeptically for a moment before edging towards it and finally allowing herself to sit on it. "Go back to sleep." She urged, running a hand through his hair.

While he leant into her touch, he didn't do as she asked and looked at her with glazed eyes. "Lie down." He said.

"Gosh, you're _so_ needy," Natasha teased lightly as she laid down as instructed. "Thought you weren't ready to sleep with me." She added before snuggling into his arms- nobody had to know… especially Clint- he'd tease her relentlessly if he found out she'd _snuggled_.

"Mhm…" He mumbled into her hair, already mostly asleep. "G'night, N't…"

"Remind me to teach you the importance of clarity, even when you're tired," Natasha muttered, allowing her eyes to close without the intention of going to sleep. She'd wait until he was fully asleep and then leave- however, that didn't happen. She found herself suddenly waking up due to something moving next to her, three hours later. Her gun was drawn and pointing at the movement as she glared murderously at the culprit.

Steve was sitting up, staring at the gun that was suddenly in his face. "Natasha?" He asked, confused. "Why the gun?"

Natasha glanced at her gun before lowering it. "I always keep a gun on hand- don't you?" She questioned curiously. Clint always had a gun on hand, too. Was that strange?

Steve shook his head. "No- not a big fan of guns. I don't really need one, anyway."

She shrugged and slipped out of his bed, glancing at his alarm clock and calculating the best route to get back to her room whilst avoiding going anywhere near where Vision or Bucky could be. "I'll see you around." She said, wanting to get out of there before the conversation turned from weapons to nightmares or worse- feelings.

"Hey, Nat!" He called, stopping her momentarily. "Did you want some breakfast before training?"

Natasha looked at him for a long moment. "Sure. Meet you there in twenty?" She asked, not specifying the kitchen- that was a given.

"You got it." He replied, getting started with his morning routine.

She gave him a quick nod before walking off, already trying to work out how to ensure Steve never mentioned what happened.

* * *

Steve dodged a kick aimed straight for his face and countered with a punch, making contact with Sam's shoulder and sending the man flying.

"Sorry!" He called as Sam stood and frowned at him. "But you should have dodged that."

"I'm quite painfully aware of that, Steve." Sam shot back, getting back into position. "Let's try again."

Steve obliged and aimed a punch at Sam's shoulder again, this time grinning when his fist met nothing but empty air. His arm was grabbed and he allowed himself to be flipped onto his back as Sam stood above him. "Good work." He praised, shifting to a sitting position. Sam smirked.

"Thanks."

"Your form was sloppy, though. I could see it coming a mile away."

Sam groaned. "Come _on_! You saw it coming because it was a planned maneuver! You're just being cruel now." He grumped.

Steve tapped his chin in exaggerated thought. "Hm… Maybe you should spend some more time training with Natasha… After all, _she_ can surprise people with planned maneuvers…" Sam groaned again and rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, you're just doing this to be mean!" He cried.

Steve chuckled, rolling his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sam- the truth hurts sometimes." He said, moving to stand. He went over to his bag and looked through it for his water bottle.

Behind him, Sam chuckled. "Speaking of the truth… How're things between you and Natasha?" He asked.

"Things are good…" Steve answered noncommittally. "Now let's get back to training." He rejoined Sam on the mat and got into the correct stance.

Sam raised his arms, getting into the same stance. "C'mon. Working together after breaking up? Or did you really break up? You two seem awful close…" He suggested with a raised eyebrow.

Steve internally groaned. He didn't want to talk about this right now. "Everything is good." He repeated firmly. "Your form is sloppy- fix your leg there." He corrected.

Sam adjusted his stance, getting into the correct form. "If you don't want to talk, that's cool. But you can't hide the way you look at her- everybody sees it."

Steve launched forward with a kick in the hopes of diverting his comrade's attention. The other man dodged, and they fell away from each other, alert. "Everybody can also see how overconfident you are in battle- don't just assume you'll win, or you'll do just the opposite."

"Says the guy who never ran from a fight, even when he knew he'd lose." Sam commented. Steve narrowed his eyes. How had he heard that? Of course- Bucky. "Why does it sound like you're backing down now? Are you accepting that you've lost Natasha?"

Steve's heart did a little flip at the words, and all logic left him for a moment. In that single moment, he managed to mess up. "Of course not! I love her!" He defended. Then his eyes widened in the realisation that he'd just spilled a big secret. "I mean-"

"Woah. You love her? Have you told her?" Sam asked, dropping his stance immediately. "Need some advice to win her back?"

Steve rubbed the back of his neck agitatedly. "No… I don't need to win her back… We're dating." He confessed. Sam opened his mouth slightly, and Steve immediately cut in with, "And don't you _dare_ tell another soul. You do and Natasha will kill you in four different ways at once."

"Dude! Congrats…" Sam replied, although he did look pretty scared. "Nice going… but what about the whole 'cheating on you' thing?"

"That was a lie. She wanted to convince bucky that we shouldn't date. Do you honestly think she'd sleep with _Clint_?" Steve answered incredulously.

Sam shrugged. "Rhodey told me that he thought they were together." He admitted with a shrug. "He actually didn't believe me when I said you two were a thing- said I was delusional."

Steve looked at him suspiciously. "You were talking about Natasha and I behind our backs?"

Sam nodded. "Well… yeah." He paused and took his stance quickly. "You're telling me you never talk about anybody at all unless they are present?"

Alright, so he had a point. A _slight_ point. "Well, I try to avoid it." He decided to say, hoping that would suffice. "Why were you discussing our relationships?"

Sam shrugged. "It was just a topic that came up."

"Does it come up often?" Steve continued interrogating, noticing Sam's loss of form. He took advantage of this and swept a leg out, sending Sam to the ground. "Also, don't lose focus."

"Not as much as training or other things." Sam replied before pushing himself back up, quickly taking his stance and focusing on Steve. "We're more interested in Bucky right now." He admitted.

Steve sighed; he'd figured his friend would be the target of lots of gossip and speculation. He hadn't been out too much, hadn't interacted with his friends as much lately, and so most was left to the imagination as to what was going on with him. "Yeah, well, you need to learn to keep your nose out of other people's business. It's not yours to discuss." He chastised before aiming another punch at Sam.

It was blocked easily as Sam retaliated with an uppercut- which Steve dodged. "Not like I have my own life- don't have the time." He commented before jumping and sending a double kick at Steve.

Steve grabbed onto his legs and spun him, letting gravity pull Sam to the ground harshly. "You got that right. Get a girlfriend." He teased.

"Mind giving me more than three days off? Oh, wait, you have to get permission from your _girlfriend_ ," Sam teased.

"Why bother asking me? You should just ask my _girlfriend_ directly- oh, wait, you're _too scared_." Steve retorted, sending a few jabs at the other man's chest.

"Well- at least I know who's in control of _that_ relationship," Sam muttered.

"What was that?" Steve demanded pointedly, knocking Sam to the ground again.

" _Oof…_ just saying, Natasha is in charge. She controls the relationship…"

Steve stared at his friend on the ground; he hadn't thought the relationship anything but even. However, he knew, deep down, that if anybody was to end the relationship, it would be Natasha. So in that retrospect, she did control things. With a sigh, he offered his hand and helped Sam up. "You don't know what you're talking about. How about you hit the punching bag and work on your strength?"

Sam nodded and walked off, leaving Steve with his thoughts. The only thing Steve worked out was that he needed a run.

* * *

Steve picked up his water bottle and downed the contents of it, feeling refreshed after his long and intense run. He ran a hand over his face as he walked into the compound, deciding he had time to do some more training before he absolutely had to look at the paperwork he was supposed to fill in. He had done bits here and there when it was needed, but had been slacking on it since Bucky had arrived- reconnecting with him was great and he wanted to make sure he had settled nicely. Also, he was spending a lot more time with Natasha than before in addition to how much they trained together.

He walked to one of the gyms and went to open it, but suddenly stopped when he heard somebody in there. It must have been Natasha and Bucky- he couldn't imagine Vision being in there.

"If you're not going to do the yoga poses, we'll go back to meditation," Natasha warned lightly.

Bucky groaned, and Steve heard some clampering around. "Is this how how you train the others?" He questioned.

"Sometimes, and all the other recruits do it straight away. Leg higher," Natasha corrected.

Steve couldn't help but smile as he imagined Bucky _actually_ doing yoga. He wanted to peer in and take a look, but didn't want to interrupt the session.

"But this is as far as my leg will go! Any further and it'll snap in half!" Bucky complained loudly. Steve laughed silently. "Wha- don't push it… are you trying to break it?"

"You're more flexible than you realise." Natasha informed him. "Hold that for twenty seconds."

"Fine," Bucky finally agreed. "But if I can't walk for the rest of the day, it's on you."

"I can live with that," Natasha responded coolly. "You could use that time to catch up on the last seventy years."

"You mean with that phone thing? I still haven't figured it out." He replied, sounding a bit breathless. "In fact, I'm still having issues finding the power button."

"You're worse than Steve." Natasha criticised. "Change pose to this one." She must have shown him what to do instead of describing. Steve wished he could see that, too. "And just find Vision later; he practically _is_ a computer. He'll help you."

"Woah, you know some really creative poses! How flexible are you?" Bucky asked, his voice slightly suggestive.

Steve did a double-take. Surely Bucky knew such a question was inappropriate? He was very tempted to burst in, just barely holding himself back.

"My flexibility is _not_ relevant to your training, especially when you are so inflexible," Natasha replied simply.

"Aw, Toots, don't be so cruel." Bucky replied playfully.

This time Steve did barge in. "Bucky, what the hell do you think you're doing?" He demanded, marching over to the pair.

Natasha and Bucky were a mirror-image of the down dog pose. She instantly stepped out of it and stopped Steve from approaching Bucky fully, only a few feet away from him. "Steve, calm down."

"But he should know that talking to you like that is wrong!" He insisted, trying to pass her but failing. "Don't you have a problem with it?" He asked her incredulously.

"If he wasn't your friend, I would have shot him by now. But he doesn't mean anything by it… and even if he did, so what? I don't care what men say to me; I get it all the time. It doesn't bother me." Natasha replied.

"Um, you both know I'm right here, right?" Bucky asked from the background. Steve glared at him.

"Yes, I'm fully aware that you're there- talking inappropriately to Natasha!" He scolded.

Bucky winced a little and didn't say anything else.

"Sit down and meditate, now," Natasha ordered Bucky as she pushed Steve towards the door. "Steve, let's talk outside."

Steve let himself be pushed back into the hallway before turning to face her. "Seriously, that's an issue that needs to be dealt with!"

"Why? Why is it such a big deal that he's flirting with me? Do you not trust him? Or me?" Natasha asked him.

Steve ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "No, it's not that- it's just… I don't _like_ it, okay? He's treating you like, like you're 'up for grabs'. It's not appropriate."

Natasha sighed, looking awkward for a split second before coolly replying. "You looked like you wanted to punch him- he's your best friend. We all know I'm not 'up for grabs'... have you ever thought that he's doing it as a defense mechanism?" She questioned. "Like you, he's lost everything. But, when he came to, he found out he had murdered hundreds of innocent and not-so-innocent people. Cut him some slack- he doesn't need his only friend pissed at him."

Steve blinked as he thought it over. That did… kind of make sense. "I… I guess you're right… I'll get off his back about it." He conceded.

Natasha scoffed. "It's too late for that. You need to actually have a proper conversation with him about it… and stop getting so jealous about every little thing. It's no longer cute."

He rolled his eyes. "For the last time- Captain America isn't _cute_." At her glare, he raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, I'll talk to him." He began walking back into the gym when her hand on his arm stopped him.

She looked at him like she was going to say something but didn't. She only released him. "Tell him the session's over, too." She said.

"Will do," Steve replied, making his way back to where Bucky was dutifully meditating. "Bucky?" He called.

"Yeah?" His friend answered, breaking form slightly to look at him.

Steve took a deep breath and sat beside him. "Sorry for snapping at you. I realised- after it was beaten into my skull- that I was being too harsh." He let it out in one breath.

Bucky smiled. "It's alright, Steve- no hard feelings." He said, quick to forgive. Steve couldn't help but return the grin. "I shouldn't have been disrespectful to Natasha and to your relationship with her."

"Well, that's true." Steve concurred. "But I shouldn't have exploded. I guess I just got a bit jealous."

Bucky laughed, but kept looking at the door nervously, as though waiting for Natasha to come charging back in. "It's alright," He said distractedly.

Steve sighed. "Session's over, so stop being paranoid."

Bucky practically melted to the floor, giving up all pretense of keeping his meditation position. "You could've _started_ with that, you know! I was terrified she would beat my head in if I so much as twitched!"

They both laughed exhaustedly. Steve stood up and offered his hand. "Come on, I'll show you how to use that 'phone-thing'."

Bucky looked embarrassed as he accepted Steve's hand and stood up. "She told you?"

"In a matter of speaking," Steve replied with a cheeky grin as he clasped Bucky's shoulder before they left the gym together.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Also, I have taken note that a lot of you want to see Jealous Natasha- and I am working something out now, it may be a few chapters away with what I'm thinking. So, be patient, but I will definitely get that in :) - For now, I hope you liked Jealous Steve :D**


	10. Massage and the invitation

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello, it's me! I was wondering if after all these days you'd like another chapter!**

 **Thank you to everybody for the suggestions! I am taking them all to the drawing board- I don't want to rush any ideas or just do them because it was suggested. I do read every idea, so don't worry about telling me if you like somebody else's idea or repeat your idea twice, as it doesn't actually affect anything. I only need it once!**

* * *

 **I am going to go ahead and thank those who reviewed! But, this time, a MASSIVE THANK YOU to all the reviews who are signed in. I love thanking you, even though sometimes I can't think of anything beyond 'thank you'. It's nice that we can talk, I love knowing your thoughts on the chapter: Sportsfan64; Fightingangels2k; DENM; IndianSweetGirl; Amy Hamato; RomanogerLaucifer; grossly-sweet; supesfan18.**

 **And to the guests, it means a lot that you take the time to leave a review, I wish I could reply to you all! Nat (Even though you reviewed Chapter 1, but I think it was meant for chapter 8) and TheJollyRoger (Who reviewed twice! I like your observations and suggestions).**

* * *

 **This chapter is for RomanogerLaucifer who had an exam today at some point (On a Saturday!). So I decided to post today so she could read the story, before or after (hopefully not during) her exam. Hopefully, it'll make things a little better :D**

* * *

Steve sighed as he signed his name with a tired flick of the wrist. He'd been hunched over his desk for _hours_ filling out damage reports from a recent mission- one involving Tony and Rhodey getting into a competition involving who could be most creative in beating their bad guy to a pulp; the results, suffice to say, were almost thrice as much property damage as usual. And now _he_ was the one stuck with the resulting 'homework'. And, to top it all off, his back was now killing him.

He stood and stretched, the movements not doing anything for his sore muscles, and went to his little personal fridge to grab a bottled water.

Natasha was leaning against the door frame- he had to wonder how long she had been there. "You look like you're having a great time." She greeted sarcastically.

He continued on to the living room, where he plopped onto the couch with a grunt. "Funny; I don't _feel_ like it." He replied with just as much sarcasm.

Natasha scoffed as she followed him, sitting on the couch beside him. "It's times like this that I'm glad I'm not in charge- don't have to do any paperwork."

"Don't need to rub it in," Steve said, futilely trying to stretch again to relieve the throbbing discomfort. "Damn, my back is _killing_ me."

Natasha shook her head playfully as she moved her knees onto the couch and sat on the heels on her feet. "Turn around- I'll get those knots out for you." She told him, one hand already on his shoulder, squeezing it slightly.

Too tired and pained to fight it, and not wanting to fight it in the first place, he nodded and did as instructed, turning in his seat and trying to sit in a way that wouldn't strain his back too much. "Thanks."

"Sure," Natasha muttered as she being to expertly massage his back. "Jeez, you're so tense."

"Well… that's what happens when you spend hours hunched over a desk." Steve said between moments of relief as she worked the kinks from his back.

"Don't hang up the shield- your posture will be destroyed with the way you hunch. Were you never taught to straighten your back?" Natasha questioned, pulling his shoulders back before continuing the massage.

He felt slightly indignant; he'd been a soldier, after all- of course he'd learned proper posture. "Of course I was! But pain does a lot of things to your posture- you of all people should know that."

"You have super-serum in your blood- you can't complain about being in pain," Natasha commented. "How does your back feel now?"

Any retort he'd been about to send her way caught in his throat. "A lot better."

Her calculated hands stopped momentarily before rubbing circles on his shoulders, a lot gentler than the massage she just gave him. "I don't know why you don't make everybody do their own paperwork. Especially the recruits- Rhodey should fill out anything relating to what he was involved in. It'll be a good lesson and save your back- you're an old man; you need to rest it more than he does." She teased.

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault!" He complained. "Rhodey always weasels out of it! I swear, he spends too much time with Stark."

"You are the _Captain_ ," Natasha reminded him. One hand left his shoulder as she pulled out her phone, dialing Rhodey.

"Hey, Natas-"

"Do your own paperwork, or next time I won't hold back during a fight. Got it?"

There was a gulp. "Got it."

Natasha hung up the phone. "Show them who's boss- and that's you. Got it?"

Steve sighed. "Well, right now it feels like it's _you_."

"It's not me- it's _you._ I'm just the muscle who enforces what you want to be done." Natasha told him before sitting back and letting go of him completely.

He frowned. "Aw, don't stop! These here ol' bones 're still givin' me trouble!" He rasped in an elderly voice.

"There are other ways to relax those muscles, you know," Natasha informed him, smoothly slipping to straddle his waist. Sitting on his lap out their faces pretty much at the same height, her lips inches from his. "I could show you."

Steve blushed so much that his entire face was completely on fire. "Uhh… Natasha…" He wasn't able to continue as she kissed him. Her body was flush with his as he slowly wrapped his arms around her.

At the stage he would usually bring things to a halt, he didn't, even when Natasha's eyes scanned his. Everything just felt so right.

* * *

Natasha was sitting at the kitchen table, quietly drinking some coffee, when Rhodey marched in with a giant grin.

"Hey, Natasha," He greeted, handing her an envelope. "Special delivery from Stark Tower."

She raised an eyebrow at him as she accepted the envelope. "Thanks." She muttered, not at all interested. She knew exactly what the envelope would contain and placed it on the table, going back to her coffee.

Rhodey stared at her. "Aren't you going to open it?" He asked.

Natasha looked up at him, staring him directly in the eye. "Have you done all of the recommended training I told you to do?" She questioned.

"Nuh-uh, don't change the subject! Why aren't you opening it? Do you have no sense of curiosity at all? Look at it!" He gestured to the envelope. "It's huge, and it's so fancily decorated! Aren't you the least bit curious about what's inside?"

"If I find out that you slacked off at all in our session in seven hours, there will be serious consequences. I'm talking about yoga, tumbling and a full-on hand-to-hand fight with me, no rules." Natasha told him simply, not reacting to anything he just said to her. If she was to open her letter, it wouldn't be in front of him. In fact, she rarely opened letters in the company of others.

Rhodey groaned in frustration. "What-? Why-? You know what? Forget it- I'll just deliver the rest of these to the _other_ team members who actually have _souls_." He exclaimed dramatically, leaving in a huff.

Natasha waited for a few moments after he had left before actually opening the envelope- wedding invitation; she was right. She read the note- great, now Pepper wanted her to go there at some point to talk. She had no interest in talking about wedding arrangements. Unfortunately, she was her friend, which made her socially obligated to go. It was times like this that she missed being just an assassin.

Steve came in, an identical envelope in hand. "Hi, Nat." He said as he sat down opposite her. He opened his envelope and read its contents. "Wow, Stark's wedding… I'd forgotten about that." He looked at hers laying open by her mug. "You were invited too, eh?"

"Half the world was probably invited, Steve." Natasha replied dismissively. Whenever somebody had a wedding, everybody around them got ideas- and she did not want those sorts of ideas in Steve's head.

"Hey, I'm sure it's only a fourth of the world." He corrected jokingly, apparently in especially good spirits. "Want to be my date? For the wedding, that is." He added needlessly.

Natasha took in a breath. "That would mean coming out to the whole world as being in a relationship- you realise that, right?" She questioned, staring at him to gauge his honest reaction.

Steve only smiled. "I think I'm ready to be seen as a couple, Natasha." He assured her, reaching a hand across the tabletop to touch her own. "Otherwise your fanboys will be clueless and then they'll have to deal with me when they keep making advances on you- do you really want to risk their lives?"

Natasha pulled her hand back, keeping her distance. She took a breath. "I don't care about their lives- I don't think I'm ready for anybody to know." Yes, times like this she really missed being an assassin. It was a lot easier than this.

Steve looked slightly dejected, but retracted his hand and didn't push her. "Oh. Alright, that's fine." He said, though with less enthusiasm than before. "We can just go separately and do something together when we get back."

Great, now she felt awful and needed to explain herself. "The bride and groom of the wedding don't even know, so it'll add more pressure to them- seating-wise and everything. And Clint will probably have to go by himself, because he can't take Laura; I don't want him to be a third wheel surrounded by couples." Okay, she didn't actually care about those things in relation to not going to the wedding with Steve, but they weren't bad excuses.

Steve nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I guess you're right. We have plenty of time to spend together, so one day shouldn't be too bad." He conceded. "And if you're not comfortable with it, there's no point in pushing it."

Natasha nodded appreciatively. A small smile appeared on her lips. "If you're going to a wedding, you'll need to know how to dance- I think some lessons are in order."

He stared at her for a few seconds before snorting indignantly. "I _do_ know how to dance, thank you very much!"

"Oh, really? Because when we did it a few weeks ago, you were stumbling over your feet," Natasha retorted playfully.

Steve frowned, but seemed to pick up on the teasing tone in her voice. "And I suppose _you_ know how to dance?"

Natasha leant forward. "You know that I do. I have a lot I could teach you." She told him suggestively; she didn't just mean on the dance floor.

He gulped and blushed a little. "So you're going to teach me how to dance? What's in it for you?" He asked suspiciously, though with a joking tone.

"Have you ever thought that I like being spun around by a handsome man?" She asked.

Steve blushed harder and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, well-" He cut off, seemingly not trusting his voice.

Natasha grinned; she really needed to stop doing this to him when they were alone- she should be saving them for when they're around other people. That would be a hell of a lot more enjoyable. "I have to head to Stark's- Pepper wants to talk to me about the wedding." She told him randomly, changing the conversation.

"Oh." He said, surprised. "Alright. Have fun."

"Yes, 'fun'…" Natasha muttered.

* * *

Natasha strutted into Tony's building, an unamused expression trained on her lips as she rode the elevator up to her designated floor. There were hundreds of possibilities running through her head as to why she was asked to come here upon receiving the wedding invitation- he had all of the required information for her to know when and where to turn up. As soon as the elevator doors opened, her eyes scanned the surroundings, she wasn't sure she was fully prepared when she saw the hundreds of catalogues laying over every surface of the room and five individuals who were not Pepper or Tony. Before she had chance to leave, Pepper appeared in front of her.

"Natasha! Thank you so much for coming at the short notice; Tony and I have been planning for months now and next month just feels like the perfect time to get married." Pepper started, a clipboard balanced on one arm as she offered Natasha a friendly hug. "How have you been?"

"Well," Natasha answered shortly. It was only as she walked further into the room that she saw another bunch of individuals around a table- although she recognised that they were doing work on Stark Industries. "How have you been?" She asked, biting back any response to their current surroundings.

"Great," Pepper replied genuinely, it was very obvious how happy she was- but all Natasha could focus on was how stressed she looked right now. Where was Tony and how come he wasn't helping? "I wanted to ask you something." She stated, her mood somehow even happier.

Natasha glanced around, "You want me to help with Stark Industries?" She supplied, that made sense, she did work there for several months, she presumed they would be heading for a long-extended honeymoon.

Pepper turned and looked at the appropriate individuals in the room before looking back at her. "You would be willing to do that?"

She nodded, "Of course, for a few weeks, that is."

"I'll keep that in mind. What I actually called you for is something of a bigger honour."

Her eyes drifted over to the other group of people- the wedding planners. She suspected that she knew what the answer to the question would be, but decided to ask it anyway. "Which is?"

"Would you do me the honour of becoming my maid-of-honour?" Pepper asked, still bubbling around.

"Aren't you supposed to ask a friend to do that?" Natasha's immediate response was, offering out a small expression of confusion. Her expression however went completely blank for a second as she watched in slow-motion Pepper's face fall. Time to back track. Less than a second later, she added, "I didn't know you thought so highly of me. It'll be _my_ honour!" She announced, a smile growing on her face.

Pepper looked relieved before her happiness returned, she darted forward and hugged Natasha, "Thank you! This will be so much fun."

Natasha returned the hug. She knew as soon as she was out of Pepper's sight, she was be calling Laura to work out exactly what she would need to do, including extra things the bride didn't know she wanted or needed. "What can I do for you now?" She asked, pulling out of the hug.

"I've got an idea on a dress for you, can you get measured and possibly try a few of them on?" Pepper asked, looking uncertain.

Maid-of-honour, you can do this Natasha. She smiled, "Of course, which person is it?" She asked, walking over to the one with a measuring tape- at least she was female.

* * *

Natasha downed her alcoholic drink quickly and filled it up, acting as if she hadn't just drank it. She put on a smile as Pepper looked at her, knowing she was about to say something else about the wedding.

"What do you think about this bouquet arrangement? I was thinking purple roses with some violets and daisies…" Pepper asked as she showed Natasha an image in a magazine. She noted that many of the pages had sticky notes marking them from all sides, indicating the magazine was well-used.

Natasha glanced at it, "Will it match your colour scheme?" She questioned lazily.

Pepper took the magazine back and looked down at the image. "I think it should. Purple goes fairly well with white, and the tablecloths at the reception are going to be white. Plus, it matches the color of your dress, too." She said, taking a permanent marker and circling the desired floral arrangement. She squealed and hugged the magazine to her chest, smile reaching blinding levels.

"Maybe some white flowers too?" Natasha suggested, she wasn't sure why she was actually here, when Pepper seemed to make her own decisions, not really listening to her. Her eyes glanced at the time, had it really only been seven hours? It felt like months, and months of torture.

"You're right!" Pepper exclaimed, taking out the marker and adding a note by the picture. "Good idea! Now, how about shoes? Are you okay in heels?" She asked, completely switching subjects.

That was surprising, she actually listened and liked the idea. Natasha looked up, "I always wear heels."

Pepper nodded with a grin and wrote this down on one of her many notepads. "Great! We'll get shoe sizes tomorrow. Any colour preferences for your sash? The bridesmaid dresses come with silk sashes and you can pick the colour."

"Whatever… maybe one that matches the flowers or my shoes. I don't mind the colour," Natasha replied and stood up. "I should be heading back unless you need anything else?"

Pepper sighed a little before looking at her watch and smiling understandingly. "No, you _should_ get back… I hadn't noticed how time flew by." She stood. "Oh, I almost forgot!" She suddenly exclaimed, turning to Natasha. "Would it be _too_ demanding for me to require that you bring a date?"

"A date? Why?" Natasha asked, looking directly at her quizzically.

"It's for the first dance," Pepper explained. "You and Rhodey both need dates so you can join the dance at the right time to lead the others."

Natasha blinked, "Couldn't I just dance with a random person?"

"Of course not!" Pepper chastised lightly. "How would that look? It would look bad if my own maid of honour couldn't bring her own date to dance with."

Natasha rolled her eyes, "Fine, fine… I'll just accept Steve's offer then."

Her friend's eyes widened exponentially. "Steve offered to be your date? When?" She demanded.

"As soon as he found out about the wedding," Natasha held back a smirk and made sure it was just a smile. "He seemed to think that because we are dating, we should go to the date together." She shook her head playfully, "He's so needy, sometimes."

Pepper was staring disbelievingly. "You're _dating Steve_? And nobody knew? How did that _happen_?" She cried, pulling Natasha back onto the couch. "Tell me everything."

Natasha sighed. "Pepper, we've been arranging things for _hours_. Steve and I just decided to give it a go and we're still going… that's pretty much all. Can we do the minute-by-minute report later?"

Pepper frowned. "Alright, alright. Go home to your _boyfriend_. Just know that I have access to Stark-level spyware and I'll be using it." She warned.

Her smirk returned, "Just keep out of the bedrooms, I'm the only one allowed to see Steve naked." She winked before quickly slipping out of the room.

"No promises!" Pepper called after her playfully.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! :D**


	11. Dancing

**Author note:**

 **Happy Tuesday! This is a smaller chapter (The smallest yet and will probably be the only one under two thousand words. But, I wanted this scene on its own!**

 **Thank you to every single person, honestly, you don't know how amazed I am at the number of followers, favs and reviews! We hit over a hundred reviews last chapter!**

 **So this is a OVER A HUNDRED REVIEWS CHAPTER! Just because I can allocate it :P**

 **Thank you for those who left a review for chapter ten: Sportsfan64; Princess2016; TheJollyRoger; RomanogersLucifer; Moustache123; DANM; grossly-sweet; Amy Hamato; IndianSweetGirl; Nat. :D**

* * *

Steve sighed and stretched, his back popping satisfyingly. The pain had decreased tremendously by now, but there was still a lingering throbbing in his spine. He'd received a message from Natasha the other day, asking him to stop by her room after she got back from Stark's. It was dark out, and he'd just gotten an update saying her quinjet had successfully landed in the hangar. Now he was headed to her room.

The halls were fairly deserted as the techs got to work in the hangar to check over the recently-returned quinjet, meaning it took much less time to get there.

"Natasha?" He called as he knocked on her door.

"Enter," She called.

He pushed the door open and walked in. Why was her furniture pushed to the side of the room? "Where are you?" He asked, not finding her in the living room.

Natasha walked in. "Right here." She walked over to her laptop and clicked on some music.

Steve recognised the beat almost instantly- it's one they'd danced to before. "Is this why you asked me to come?" He asked needlessly. He already had a feeling that it was.

She nodded. "Yes. We're going to a wedding, so we need to practice our dancing." She stepped over to him. "Are you ready?"

He smirked. "I'm always ready to dance with a pretty lady like you." He said smoothly, meeting her halfway.

Natasha smiled at him, placing one hand on his shoulder. "Pepper asked me to be her maid of honour." She informed him, holding out her other hand to take his.

"Really? That's quite an… well, an honour!" Steve exclaimed, smiling happily. "Did you say yes?" He took her hand and they began swaying in time with the steady tempo.

"Straighten your back, I'm going to teach you the waltz- everybody needs to know it for the wedding," Natasha informed him before she started to slowly lead him to the slow song. "I did say yes," She confirmed softly after a few steps.

He followed her lead willingly as she taught him the moves. "That's great!" He chuckled softly. "It's amazing how close you two have gotten." He commented.

Natasha looked up at him, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "It's strange. I first met her when I was undercover- didn't know we'd actually become friends."

"Lots of things seem to happen undercover without us noticing." Steve said with a knowing grin.

"I'm not sure pretending to date you because you wanted your friend to think you were happy is really undercover. Seeing as we didn't actually do anything," Natasha replied, slightly amused.

"I don't know about that- I mean, we bonded, didn't we? You slept in my bed, we watched movies… That's what I would consider 'doing something'." Steve argued lightly.

Natasha shook her head slightly, "I suppose the sharing a bed was different- but the rest of it was just us being… well, us. Nothing more than friends at that time." She paused. "We don't even actually share a bed now, so even that wasn't technically real to a relationship…"

Steve chuckled. "Sometimes a relationship develops through friendship. The more time we spent as friends, the more we got to know each other and what we liked about each other. It counts in my book."

"Strengthen your arm- it's too sloppy," Natasha criticised teasingly.

He did as told, although distractedly. "That was a lot of fun; you're a lot of fun once you let loose a little." He said, thinking back to those days spent undercover.

Natasha tilted her head. "Is that so? I'd love it if you let loose more, too… you're pretty closed off sometimes- I can't always work out what you're thinking."

"Really? I always thought I was an open book." He replied, slightly surprised.

"Not always; sometimes you are. You used to be," She informed him. "Now, though, I'm having trouble reading you- what you want, what you're thinking."

He found a chance and he took it, despite the reservations in the back of his head. "Let me give you a hint." And he leaned forward and kissed her.

Natasha let go of his hand, her fingers grazing his skin as she slid her hand up to grasp the back of his neck as she returned the kiss.

Happiness blossomed in him before he reluctantly pulled away. "Can you read me any better now?" He asked cheekily.

She smiled up at him. "I'm not sure. I think I need another hint." She teased, pulling his head back down for another kiss.

He happily obliged.

Natasha pulled away and looked him in the eye. "Fine, let's do it." She agreed.

What? Where had that come from? "Let's do… what?" He asked.

"Go to the wedding together- Pepper said she'd prefer if I took a date. So, why the hell not?" Natasha replied, shrugging like it was no big deal.

A big smile pulled at his mouth and his insides lifted in elation. "Great! That's… That's so _great_!" He couldn't think of anything else to say, so instead settled for hugging her- an awkward thing at first, considering the major height difference. "Thank you."

"Okay… okay…" Natasha patted his back. "No need for this sappy crap. It's just a wedding- this can't be the first wedding you've gone to. Just calm down. It's not a big deal."

Steve laughed. "You're right- not my first. My first wedding was my seventy-year-old aunt's, and wasn't _that_ a blast." He said sarcastically, recalling how long it had taken for Aunt Jem to hobble down the aisle.

Natasha chuckled. "We're supposed to be dancing." She reminded him, straightening back up.

He smiled to himself before following her lead again. "Alright, alright." She led him through the steps again before he finally got a grasp of it. "This is fun!"

"I suppose it is, when you have the right dancing partner," Natasha replied. "You're a natural."

"Thank you- you, too." He responded, giving her a twirl just for the fun of it. He loved how graceful she was. "Seriously, you're, like, a professional!"

Natasha smiled. "Thanks, I've had a lot of practice. I actually really like dancing… nearly as much as I like this..." She drifted off as she captured his lips with hers, holding him to her.

Steve responded in kind, returning the kiss eagerly. When they pulled apart, he looked down into her eyes and couldn't stop himself from admitting his feelings for her. "I love you." And was quick to find that he wasn't as surprised with himself as he should have been. It was the truth, and it needed to be said.

"What?" Natasha spoke as she recoiled away from him like she'd been burnt. "You… what?"

Steve's heart sank a little at the less-than-favorable reaction. He'd hoped she'd return the sentiment… "I… I love you, Natasha." He repeated, less confident than before. Had he spoken too early in their relationship? Would she leave him now?

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! I hoped you liked them dancing :P**


	12. Heart to heart

**Author's Note:**

 **When I posted the last chapter, chapter 12 was written... then I read over it and changed my mind. So... only five lines of the old chapter 12 is actually in _this_ chapter. I hope I made the right call. **

**Thank you ever so much for the incredible response through reviews, you all make my day. Sportsfan64; TheJollyRoger; grossly-sweet; IndianSweetChild; Baibe; LilyRose14; Princess2016; RomanogersLucifer; Javie-1998; supesfan18; Moustache123; Amy Hamato; Guest.**

 **Guest, who mentioned that Steve had told Nat he loved her before. Nicely spotted! I think I forgot about that. It's a completely different atmosphere, before, was more of a casual, less certain thing. Like, I always tell my friends I love them; but we both know I don't really _love_ them. When Steve originally said it, Nat didn't really take much notice. However, last chapter, when Steve said it, Nat KNEW he was serious and KNEW that he really did love her. Anyway, thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Just a quick note, I know most of your names of by heart now! And I eagerly look forward to your reviews. I see a review and make silent bets to myself who it is... I'm usually wrong, haha! :P**

* * *

Steve left the kitchen with a slight smile- Tony had finally restocked the freezer, meaning there were about thirty thousand different kinds of frozen pizza available now. He headed to Natasha's room to ask if she wanted a specific topping.

He found the hallways to be relatively empty- a strange occurrence at this hour. He approached her door and knocked. "Nat? You home?" He called.

Natasha opened the door almost immediately. "Hey, Steve." She greeted and turned around, wandering back into her room and picking up one of her guns. "I'm guessing this is where we have one of those 'heart to heart' chats?"

Now that she mentioned it, yeah, they really _did_ need to talk about that- and now was probably the best time to do that, considering she was being somewhat cooperative. "Um, yeah, basically." Steve replied with a small, mirthless smile. "I mean, unless you don't want to." _Please want to. Please._ He internally begged. _And please put the gun down._

"We'd have to do it eventually… so I'm told," She responded, aiming her gun at a seemingly fixed point on the wall before lowering it and placing it on counter. "Was it a slip up? The 'I love you'?" She asked.

On this he was adamant. "No." He answered honestly, hoping she'd hear the genuineness in his voice. "And I don't regret telling you." Alright, so he _did_ regret just dumping the information on her the way he had, but a bigger part of him was relieved that it was out in the open.

Natasha nodded. "Okay, thanks for your confession."

That was… it? No, that wasn't enough. "You sound like I've just submitted my answers to your survey. Are you not at all affected by this, or what?"

A sigh left her lips as she finally turned and gave him her full attention. "I'm… not at that stage yet. So what else do you expect me to say?" She paused, but continued talking before he had the chance to respond. "We're at different stages right now- that's not a problem, right?"

He sighed just a little before shaking his head. "No… I understand." He conceded. It was disappointing, honestly, but he didn't mind too much. After all, they had only been going out for a few months- he knew it was a big change for her.

"I'm sorry, okay? I really am. I wish I could just throw the words out right now to you- but I don't want to say something that I'm not completely sure of. I'm just not ready for that stage yet- the 'I love you' stage." Natasha told him honestly.

Alright, he couldn't hold that against her. He understood her reasoning, and it really wasn't a big deal- she'd come around eventually, on her own, and when she did, it would be a wonderful day. Until then, he had hope. He offered a smile. "It's alright, Nat. Really. I'm happy how we are, too, so let's stay happy." He struggled to think of something to change the subject with until he remembered the original reasoning behind this visit. "What kind of pizza do you want?" He asked.

Natasha blinked. "Pepperoni." She answered, but there was definitely nearly a whole second where her expression went completely blank at the random change of subject.

Steve smiled and nodded. "Pepperoni it is, then. Wanna keep me company while I get it heated?"

She shrugged. "I suppose. Besides, I'd rather not have you burning the kitchen down trying to heat up a pizza."

Steve's face fell into an incredulous look. "That was _one time_!" He defended playfully, leading the way to the kitchen.

"Yes, but not if we include all of your _other_ food-related incidences- such as burning rice. I didn't even know that was possible."

"That's me, testing the limits of 'possible'." Steve said with a laugh. Her lips turned up, but other than that, she did not respond.

* * *

Steve stepped over the wheel, which Sam had just taken off, and sat on the ground. He looked into the toolbox and selected the 7mm allen and slid underneath the car. Even though cars had changed over the last seventy years, to him, they weren't that difficult- it was easy to learn. He grunted. "Do we have a T-45 socket and a ratchet?" He asked as he realised they were Torx t-45 bolts and not 7mm allen bolts, like he'd presumed. As Sam passed it to him, he hoped he wouldn't need a 3" extension.

Sam continued to complain about not having a date for the wedding, which Steve really wasn't that interested in at the moment. "Seriously, I don't have anybody to go with. You're taking Nat, and Rhodey's taking Wanda- I can't turn up solo to Stark's wedding. I'll look like a loser. You have to help me out."

Steve sighed and peeked out, barely seeing anything above Sam's calves. "And what exactly are you thinking I can do? Call up one of my many hot, single lady friends?" He asked sarcastically.

"You must know _somebody_! Women are always throwing themselves at you," Sam sighed. "Nat constantly tried setting you up with people you knew. Couldn't you get me one of their numbers?"

Steve shook his head, even though his friend couldn't see it. "You're forgetting that I haven't been using a cell phone for very long- not until after she'd stopped giving me their numbers. I don't have them available anymore." Alright, so he'd mostly thrown away their numbers- that Natasha had graciously written down for him- but he didn't want to deal with Sam's whining about him 'wasting the opportunities'.

"Do you think Natasha would be willing to get me a date?" Sam asked curiously.

"No, I'm pretty sure she'd shoot you for asking." Steve replied simply. "Suppose the caliper, we don't want to break the brake line." He waited for Sam to take hold of it before he started to remove the caliper bolts.

"Speaking of Natasha, how are things going?"

Steve let out another sigh; it was getting harder to concentrate with all of these questions. "Things are fine, Sam."

"Just fine?" Sam questioned.

"Not 'just fine'- things are really good," Steve grunted slightly as he snapped the brake wire clear and slid the outer brake pad away from the caliper. He took a breath. "Just like any other couple."

Sam was holding the 'C' Clamp when he looked over. "That's good. So, you're really, really close, then?"

"Yes." Steve huffed. What was with all of these questions? He didn't remember this much talking about women back in the forties when he used to help Bucky with cars- wait, that was usually when he found out he had a double date with whomever Bucky had set him up with. Talking about women and working on cars- he didn't know that was a standard combination.

"So… if _you_ asked her to set me up with somebody, she'd do it without shooting either of us?" Sam questioned.

Steve poked his head out, looking at him. Sam smiled innocently. "You want me to ask Natasha to… Are you crazy?"

Sam laughed. "If you two are in a relationship, then she'd do it for you."

"Just because we're in a relationship doesn't mean she'll cater to my every whim, Sam. In fact, I still owe her one- or five. The point is, she's going to say no either way." Steve explained as patiently as he could muster.

"Please, as a favour for me," Sam asked insistently as he pulled the inner pad out of the piston.

Steve rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter. She's going to say no. Get your own girlfriend. You're a big boy, I'm sure you can think of something." He teased as he cleaned the brake.

"Dude, you know nothing about women and relationships." Sam shook his head. "Ready to put the new brake pads on?"

"Yeah," Steve replied. "And I don't? That's funny, coming from the guy who can't get a date by himself." He dodged a tool being thrown at him and laughed. They fell into silence shortly after, but, unfortunately, it seemed Sam was currently incapable of being quiet for too long- when Steve realised he was talking about football, he zoned him out.

* * *

After finishing their work on the car, Steve and Sam made their way back into the base, both sweaty and covered in grease. They exchanged 'see you later's and headed off in separate directions- Sam to his own room and Steve to the one he and Nat were unofficially sharing for the moment; she'd slept in his bed for almost two weeks.

On his way there he bumped into Nat in the hallway. "Fancy seeing you here," He said lightly, falling into step beside her.

Natasha's eyes obviously ran up and down his body. "You're filthy." She observed.

He smiled and nodded. "Well, I've been working on a car for several hours, so yeah, I'm pretty dirty." He confirmed. "I was just headed to my room to have a shower."

"No need to hurry; it's nice seeing you not… immaculate." She admitted, smirking seductively at him. "So much more appealing like this."

Steve blushed a little and looked down into her eyes for a moment. Then he remembered. "Oh, I finished that drawing of you, by the way."

"Drawing?" Natasha questioned, looking at him. "Did you finish it when I was sleeping?"

He blushed a little more and rubbed the back of his neck, knowing he looked extremely sheepish. "No, I- uh, well, I drew it from memory." He admitted.

Her lips turned up slightly. "Not sure if that is sweet or creepy… I'll go with sweet." She walked into his room. "Can I see it?"

His face must have been beet red. "Sure," He agreed, running to fetch it from one of the drawers of his nightstand. He handed it to her and eagerly watched her reaction.

Natasha looked at it, tilting her head to the side. "Not bad. Maybe you could pin it to a wall or something." She handed it back to him.

Steve's heart leapt in mild elation- that was as high a compliment as Natasha was known to give. "Sure, why not?" He said as he put it back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get this grease off." He gestured to the plentiful splotches of dark liquid all over his forearms and clothes.

"Car oil is pretty hard to get off- let me assist you," Natasha said, following him into the bathroom.

Out of habit, Steve closed and locked the door- he didn't want them to be interrupted.

* * *

Natasha's finger slipped across her tablet, flipping the page of the book she was reading- it was one Steve had recommended. It was only fair that she learnt a few things he liked, and him coming from the forties meant that she hadn't actually read any of the classic books he'd enjoyed as a child and teen. She was leaning against the backboard of her own bed, the covers draped over her carelessly.

The flick of the page beside her made her glance at Steve, who was on the bed beside her- he was an almost mirror image of her, except for the fact that he was holding an actual book. She supposed he'd get used to technology eventually.

"How are you liking it so far?" Steve asked without looking up.

Her eyes went to the page number and she noted that she was over two-thirds through it. "It's a page turner. Yours?"

"Very interesting." He commented, thoroughly engrossed. "Almost done with it already."

"Same," Natasha replied, turning back to her book even though she was definitely not as engrossed in it as Steve- then again, she had never been much of a reader. Sitting down and doing nothing was not her thing. "Rhodey told me you asked him to do a week of extra running before Tony and Pepper's wedding." She began as her eyes swept over the pages.

Steve chuckled and turned the page. "Sure did- want him to be in tip-top shape for the wedding." He replied. "You never know what could happen."

"Well, he can't do that. He and I are heading over to Stark's a day or two early." She informed him.

"Why?" He asked, this time looking up at her.

Natasha glanced at him, but her eyes soon returned to the book- the sooner she finished it, the better. "He's best man and I'm maid of honour. Apparently we need to go early." She answered simply. She had questioned this herself, but couldn't dispute 'maid of honour duties'.

"Oh, that's right! You're the maid of honour! That's great! But why go early? Can't you handle things the day of?" Steve asked.

Natasha looked up at him. "One of the duties is not letting Stark see Pepper the night before- I can't do that from here."

"I guess not," He conceded with a smile. "I assume you'll shoot him if he tries to sneak a peek?"

"Right in the nuts," She agreed with a grin. "I take my duties very seriously."

Steve winced and turned back to his book. "I think that's a little _too_ seriously. You don't shoot a man in the family jewels the night before his wedding." He responded.

Natasha smirked, turning back to her book. "I'll keep that in mind." Maybe it would be too cruel to incapacitate Tony in that way right before his wedding night.

They sat in companionable silence as the minutes ticked by. The only sounds were those of Natasha's finger occasionally brushing the screen and of Steve turning a page every now and then. It was a comfortable, homey atmosphere that Natasha could honestly get used to.

Steve closed his book with a sigh. "Finished. You were right, that book was very good." He commented as he set the book on the nightstand.

"I'm glad you liked it." She commented before finishing the page and turning off her tablet, deciding to not offer her opinion on the book he had selected for her.

"What should we do now?" He asked after another few moments of comfortable silence.

Natasha turned onto her side, her fingers lightly grazing down his bare chest. "I have a few ideas that don't involve moving from this bed." She smirked as he blushed, still not used to this, but didn't comment. Her hand continued down, moving the covers out of the way- they didn't need them, anyway. "Or we could go and train?"

"No, I'm good right here," Steve breathed as he rolled over and pinned her under his body.

Natasha's only reply was to pull his lips to hers.

* * *

Natasha pushed the gym doors open and poked her head in; there she noticed Rhodey and Sam sparring. "Rhodey, who's your date to the wedding?" She demanded, her phone against her ear.

Rhodey paused, as did Sam, and he offered a smile. "Wanda. Who's yours?"

"Wanda. Wanda Maximoff. Yes, of course he's taught her the dance. Bye," Natasha hung up and looked at him. "Steve, of course. Have you taught Wanda the set dance? You two ready for that?" She asked, keeping a calm expression. Pepper was triple-checking everything- the texts all throughout the day and night was getting really annoying now.

His eyes widened comically. "There's a set dance?" He asked.

Natasha nodded, glaring at him. "Sam, you're free to leave."

Sam didn't hesitate to grab his bag. "Good luck."

"How can you not know the dance? The wedding is in _three_ days!" Natasha almost shouted as soon as the door closed.

Rhodey winced. "I'm sorry! I forgot!" He defended, backing up slightly.

"You complete and utter idiot! If you and Wanda are not _fully_ prepared, with the correct dance and attire, Pepper will kill you." Natasha threatened.

He held his hands up defensively. "Alright, I'll start teaching her right now!" He ran to the door, shooting furtive glances behind him.

"Absolute idiot," Natasha muttered to herself as she walked from the gym. After a second she turned and went to find Steve- they needed to practice the dance again.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading!**

 **Whose seen Deadpool yet? If you haven't, why not? You've gotta watch it! :D**

 **Spoiler Alert for next chapter: They be heading to Starks for the wedding! Should be smooth sailing :D**

 **Massive thank you to my beta and co-writer, for putting up with my craziness over the past few days. Changing a whole chapter and then going a bit crazy over one scene because it wasn't going right... Thank you very much :D**


	13. To the wedding

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello, thank you very much to the ten (or eleven as I've just got an email saying I've received another review) amazing people who reviewed my last chapter! I usually list all of your names, however, I'm at work and this is the only way I can post today!**

 **How about we all just make our way to the wedding :D**

* * *

Natasha picked up a green ribbon, her eyes glancing at the other many coloured ribbons on the pillow. Somehow she had managed to find a seat on the bed as she waited for Pepper to put on her wedding dress to make sure it fit perfectly- it was better finding out something was wrong now than tomorrow, hours before the wedding.

"Hang on just a second," Pepper called from the bathroom. "There's this… _zipper_ … Ah! Got it!" She came back in wearing an extravagant white gown that fit her body nicely. "What do you think?" She asked excitedly, doing an experimental twirl.

"That's… puffy," Natasha commented as she stood up- dropping the ribbon enroute- and stepped over to her. "Turn around." She lightly ordered as her eyes studied the dress and how it fit Pepper.

"Oh, um, okay." Pepper agreed, surprised, and did as told. "What are you doing?"

Natasha tilted her head. "Just… looking. How are you doing your hair?" She asked curiously, for the first time actually interested in being here. She had never thought about her wedding as a child or as she got older, and didn't think she would be interested. But now she was curious over all of the arrangements. "Are you going to curl it?"

Pepper brightened. "I was thinking so, yeah. Maybe a little braid or a fancy updo- oh, it's all so exciting!" She exclaimed, not her usual composed self.

"You should twist back the front so it doesn't fall into your face and have the rest in ringlets." Natasha told her, walking back over to the bed. "And you should wear a padded bra- the puffiness of the dress is makes you look slightly flat-chested." She added bluntly.

Pepper frowned a little before chuckling. "Alright, thanks!" She said. "How are you wearing _your_ hair?"

"My hair?" Natasha asked, offering up a little confused look at the question. "Just leaving it how it always is."

Pepper tutted and ran a hand through her friend's hair. "Oh, no no! This is my wedding- I am _not_ having my maid of honor wearing her usual everyday hairstyle! You're getting your hair done and it'll look beautiful!" She complimented, still managing to make it sound like an order.

Natasha felt her lips tug in an upwards direction. "Yes, Ma'am." She let herself smile. "You can do whatever you want with my hair- it's _your_ wedding, after all." She heard a noise and knew exactly what it was. "How about you take your dress off? We don't want it getting dirty."

Pepper sighed before nodding reluctantly. "I suppose… But I love wearing it!" She said before going back into the bathroom.

There was a slight shuffling outside of the door before it slowly slid open and Tony's face appeared. He saw Natasha and backed away jerkily, muttering, "Holy shit!"

"When the hell did _you_ get here, Romanoff?" He demanded angrily, pride clearly wounded as he buttoned up his shirt.

"You are _not_ to see the bride for twenty-four hours before the wedding; it's not fourteen hours away." Natasha stated. "So, if you would like to use a certain organ tomorrow night, I suggest you back away very, very quickly."

Tony gulped slightly, face pale as his hands moved to protect his manhood. "O-okay, fine." He stepped backwards, before turning and leaving, she heard him mutter, "This is _my_ house."

Natasha smirked and turned back to the ribbons, trying to remember what significance they had again. She shrugged; they were due to go to sleep in two hours, according to the guide Pepper had given her.

Pepper returned a few moments later wearing her usual pajamas and holding her dress on a hanger. "I can't believe it's almost the big day!" She literally squealed. "I don't know why I'm like this, but my heart is beating faster, my arms are all jittery and I can't stop smiling!"

"This time tomorrow, you'll be married to Tony Stark… better you than me," Natasha teased, also smiling. She picked up her pyjamas, which she hardly wore- but, apparently, it was a sleepover situation where she was sleeping in Pepper's bed to ensure Tony didn't slither in- and began changing, keeping a special ear on the door. "Are you taking his last name?" She inquired.

Pepper smiled. "Yes I am. Pepper Stark sounds much more intimidating than Pepper Potts. It's purely a business decision." She pulled a face and laughed a little.

Natasha scoffed slightly, "If you say so, Miss Potts."

A voice came through a hidden speaker. "Miss Romanoff, that name has been made officially illegal in this house. It's 'Mrs. Stark' to you."

"She's not married yet, Jarvis!" Natasha responded. "And go away, no boys allowed!"

"Of course, Ma'am." Jarvis replied politely and was silent.

Natasha's phone beeped, she glanced at it, "Time for bed." She declared.

Pepper sighed before nodding in agreement. "I suppose… Although I doubt I'll get much sleep- I'm too excited!"

She was sound asleep not five minutes later.

* * *

Steve glanced over at Bucky and noticed how tense he was beside him. "Relax, it's just a wedding."

Bucky looked back at him. "I just prefer to be at the base, that's all."

"Don't be ridiculous, you've been to Stark's before- they're having it at his house." Steve replied, sending a quizzical look his way. "What's really going on?"

"Not with… that many people. What if- what if I lose control?" Bucky admitted.

Steve turned to him, clasping a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Buck. If anything goes wrong, I've got your back. Also, Tony's put aside a room for you if things get too much or you want a few minutes alone. It's at your disposal."

Bucky nodded, still uncertain.

Steve sighed in mild exasperation and smiled a little. "You're too paranoid, you know that?" He walked away, chuckling, before Bucky could retort.

* * *

Steve was helping to set up the last-minute decorations when he was approached by a woman. She was wearing very heavy makeup and the way she looked at him made him decidedly uncomfortable.

"Can I help you?" He asked politely, finishing his adjustments to a streamer.

The woman giggled and moved closer. "Are you _the_ Captain America?" She asked.

Steve smiled kindly and nodded. "Yes I am." He answered. The woman moved even closer until she was right in his personal space.

"I'm Cindy." She introduced. Steve nodded along and said, to be polite, "That's a lovely name."

"You really think so?" Cindy asked, voice taking on an odd tone. Had she moved even closer, or was he imagining things? No, she had definitely shifted- she was practically leaning on him. He took a step back and she followed. "I think you and I will get along great." She said with a purr.

Natasha appeared behind the woman, grabbing her arm and twisting it. There was a crack before Cindy went flying to the ground with a cry. Natasha turned to Steve. "Your tie's crooked." She noted, her hands smoothing it down and straightening it.

Steve paled and stared in shock. "Did you just break her arm?" He asked, trying to lean to the side to see if Cindy was hurt.

Natasha pulled him by the tie, stopping him from looking. "Don't be silly- just dislocated it. Just don't let anybody with dirty hands touch you." She stated sweetly and then undid his tie, retying it.

"But why would you-? _Why_? She's literally sobbing!" He exclaimed, gesturing to the woman who was shrieking at a man attempting to help her up.

Natasha rolled her eyes and turned, bending down and pulling the woman's arm, relocating it. She pushed it none-too-gently to rest against the woman's chest. "Keep it still and you'll be fine in no time." She stood up and looked at Steve, pulling out a sticky note, writing on it and sticking it to Steve's chest. "All better now."

The note read: He's taken.

It took Steve a moment to catch on, but by then Natasha had vanished the same way she magically appeared. His eyes widened at the realisation that Natasha Romanoff had been _jealous_.

* * *

Natasha barged into Pepper and Tony's bedroom. "How's it coming?" She asked, attempting to keep the annoyed tone out of her voice, but failing. How could that woman even dare to put her hands on _her man_? She was especially annoyed at Steve for not pushing her away. Although, what really, truly annoyed her was letting her feelings get the better of her- this was Pepper's day. Pepper's wedding. She couldn't ruin it by dislocating people's shoulders.

"Almost done!" Pepper called from the bathroom, applying her own makeup instead of having a hired professional do it. "What's wrong?"

"Dirty blonde, 5'6' without heels, too much makeup, short slutty dress. Who is she?" Natasha questioned, looking at her dress that she had to change into.

Pepper hummed in thought for a moment before chuckling. "You mean Cindy? She was my college roommate. What happened?"

"She's a slut… I might have twisted her arm." Natasha admitted, looking up at her. "You look great, by the way. Like a bride from a magazine."

"You _what_? Actually… no, yeah, she probably deserved it, between you and me." Pepper confessed, pulling a face. "She stole four of my boyfriends- in a row!"

Natasha smirked. "Well then, between you and me, I dislocated it. She touched Steve." She admitted her reasoning- which sounded completely lame, and she knew it.

Pepper applied some eyeliner before turning to raise an eyebrow at her. "Oh did she now? And in response, you- Miss Professional Super Spy- dislocated her arm? Did you get jealous?" She teased before turning back to the mirror.

Natasha scoffed. "I don't get jealous. I just want Steve to look at me, and _only_ me."

Pepper laughed. "You just gave me the definition of jealousy, hon." She retorted.

"I don't _do_ jealous." Natasha muttered, angry at herself because she _knew_ that she actually _had_ been jealous and let it bother her.

"Can you zip me up? I can't reach between my shoulder blades." Pepper interjected. "Also, it's totally fine to be jealous, Nat. He's your boyfriend- of course you're going to be possessive."

Natasha zipped the dress up, adjusting it for her. "You don't know what you're talking about, Pepper."

Her friend laughed again but didn't argue. "How do I look?" She asked, twirling.

"You need to put the veil on," Natasha decided, picking it up and placing it on Pepper's head. "Did you want me to take a picture?"

"Yes!" Pepper exclaimed happily, already posing.

Natasha rolled her eyes, an amused smile on her face as she snapped a few pics. "Tony is a lucky, lucky man." She grinned before picking up her dress. "I guess I best get change now."

* * *

Natasha walked into Stark's lab, a murderous expression on her face. She was in six inch black high heels, a purple dress- which was fitted around the chest and stomach and then poofed out slightly down to her knees- matching purple lipstick and her hair was in soft ringlets, looking longer than it had been the day before. "What are you doing in here?" She demanded.

Tony, Bruce, Steve and Rhodey all looked at her, speechless. Rhodey was the quickest to snap out of his trance. "Nothing."

"Tony, your _wedding_ is in two hours," She reminded him firmly. "You'd better not be creating anything like Ultron again-"

"One time…" Tony muttered.

"Twice." Bruce corrected.

"How do you think Pepper would feel if this wedding was ruined?" Natasha questioned- that one got to the Tony, it was clear in his expression.

"Natasha, you look incred-" Steve started.

Natasha raised her hand, signalling for him to stop as she noticed a canister. "What's that? Are you planning on gassing the guests?"

"Don't be so melodramatic- Pepper would kill me," Tony muttered whilst rolling his eyes.

"And then drown you," Rhodey agreed. "And then cut you up into _little tiny pieces_ -"

Steve cleared his throat, effectively silencing the bickering men. "Are you going to explain it any further?"

Tony rolled his eyes and waved dismissively, releasing some of the gas into the air.

Natasha glared at him. He rolled his eyes again.

"Don't worry, it's not lethal to most people- or anybody, really. It's a sleeping gas for individuals with a certain type of chemical in the body," Tony explained as he quickly put the canister into a secure box.

"We adapted it from a gas we made to subdue the Hulk."

"Does it work?"

"Hasn't been tested yet…"

Natasha blinked as her vision started blurring. What-? Her head spun dizzily before her legs gave out and she was falling. Everything began to fade, her eyes lost focus and everything around her was just so peaceful and calm. The last thing she fully registered was a pair of arms around her and knowing they were not Steve's.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Now, there was a bit of jealous Nat- hope you all liked it, especially of how many chapters you had to wait for it!**

 **For my A Time To Love readers (Who I think is just two of you), I'll be posting the next chapter tomorrow! Which, was actually my favourite chapter to write :D**


	14. There might not be a wedding

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello! Sorry about the cliffhanger, but, I couldn't help myself! But bygones, here's the next part :D**

 **Thank you ever so much for the lovely amount of reviews, so thank you so much: Javie-1998; supesfan18; RomanogersLucifer; maria. .jenson; gundamseeddestiny; IndianSweetGirl; Baibe; Sportsfan64; grossly-sweet; TheJollyRoger; Steelers1; Moustache123; LilyRose14; Princess2016; Amy Hamato.**

 **Anyway, I know you all probably do not care about this yattering, you just want to see what happens!**

* * *

Tony breathed a sigh of relief once the canister was safely in the box- he didn't want to waste the gas. He turned back to the other four, who were discussing the gas- well, not all of them. Natasha was looking slightly dazed. When she stumbled, he quickly stepped over to her and managed to catch her as she fell, unconscious almost immediately.

He looked at her in his arms, surprised at how light she was, did she ever eat? Looking up, he noticed the looks from the other three individuals, who had a mixture of emotions on their faces- the anger on Steve's was the most eye-catching.

Without hesitation, he slipped his arm under Natasha's legs and picked her up with ease, walking over to one of the tables. "Clear it." He ordered. Bruce swung his arm across it, throwing all of the paperwork and objects onto the floor- not exactly what he'd meant. Resting her on the table, he grabbed his tux jacket and used it as a pillow.

"I thought you said the gas was _harmless_!" Steve roared.

"It is, unless you have a certain chemical in your blood. I didn't know she…" Tony drifted off; he didn't have time to deal with Steve right now. He needed- what _did_ he need? He needed to check her vitals. He had no idea what this gas would do; it was experimental- Tony hadn't considered using it on _humans_ yet.

"Stark, what are you doing?" Steve demanded.

Bruce, thankfully, intervened, pressing a hand against Steve's chest to stop him from charging over. "He's making sure she's stable. We don't know the effects yet… and her having the chemical in her system..."

"Effects? What chemical?" Steve questioned, no calmer.

"Rhodey, bring me that machine," Tony ordered, pointing to a medical machine he still had from when he'd been dying. Rhodey didn't hesitate to follow the orders as he brought the machine over. Bruce looked at Tony hesitantly. "Just tell him, dammit." He spluttered, connecting the machine to Natasha. It was the best way to make sure all of her organs were working- he knew he should have just called in a doctor, but that could take too long.

"The chemical… it's used for extensive mind control and manipulation. We suspected that that would be the most likely chemical used on Bucky because of the effects and his memory loss." Bruce explained. "If he were to have a break, we wanted a defense."

"And you did this without informing me? Wait… then why did it affect… Oh God," Steve muttered, his voice getting weaker by the second as he obviously realised what that meant. "Natasha's been mind controlled… Where's Clint?"

Tony looked up. "Jarvis; Get Clint here- now." He didn't know how the other spy could be all that helpful, but he probably knew more about Natasha than anyone here. A sigh of relief left him once everything was connected- as far as he could gather, she was just in a deep sleep. "And get a doctor, too."

It was only after initial panic had faded that dread filled him completely. Pepper. The Wedding. Oh, shit. "Bruce, we have to wake Nat up… We can't do the wedding without the maid of honour."

Bruce frowned a little. "That's your biggest concern? Not finding out how to get her better? How do you know it's possible to wake her up at this point? The wedding can wait."

"You're right. Somebody go tell Pepper- I'll…" Tony paused. "Jarvis, run diagnostics. We need to get either the chemical or the gas out of Natasha's system."

"Right away, Sir." Jarvis replied.

"Stark, is this chemical harming her?" Steve asked tensely from the other side of the table.

"It's used to reprogram the brain," Tony answered shortly. To be honest, he didn't know enough about that particular chemical to know if it was harming her in any way. In fact, everything about what was happening was experimental- there was no way to determine if the gas was working as intended when it combined with the chemical. So far, though, it appeared to be working.

"Reprogram it to do _what_?" Steve seethed, deep concern glinting in his eyes as he scowled.

"Brainwashing, reprogramming, all of that jazz," Tony muttered in reply, checking Natasha's pulse manually- it seemed normal as her resting pulse.

Clint strolled in. "What's the emergency?" He asked casually, looking amused, but his expression instantly went dark at the sight of Natasha's unconscious body. "What did you do?" he growled violently.

Rhodey stepped over to him. "It was accidental, it's nobody's fault-" he shot Tony a 'you-owe-me-one' look, "-she was accidentally exposed to a gas that unexpectedly reacted with something in her system." He explained, hands placating. Spies could be very dangerous when they were as angry as Clint looked to be.

Clint's eyes narrowed. "And how was she exposed to that gas- Tony?" He asked pointedly, shoving past Rhodey and over to Natasha, looking her over.

"Why'd you blame me?" Tony questioned defensively but shrugged it off- it _was,_ technically, his fault. "I need you to tell me how much of this chemical is in her system." He stated, getting it up on his computer, not sure if Clint would recognise the name or would need it explained- his computer showed it all.

"Why are you relying on _his_ help for something not in his field?" Steve snapped before looking apologetically at Clint. "I don't mean to offend you, I swear. But this is her life we're talking about, and you're not a medical professional." He explained, taking Natasha's hand worriedly.

"Has Natasha told you about what happened to her in the Red Room? What she was put through?" Clint questioned and barely waited a beat. "Didn't think so. Half of that shit is not in her medical record- only I know it. Just because you two are fucking doesn't mean you know anything about-" He retorted rudely, only to be interrupted.

"Don't. You. _DARE_." Steve said dangerously, slamming a white-knuckled fist onto the table. "If you ever-" He cut himself off, clenching his jaw. His glare was full of pure malice and he seemed to be having a hard time holding it back.

Tony glanced between them. "Why don't we just pull out our junk and measure it later- right now…" He pointed to the screen impatiently.

"That chemical was injected into her amongst others during some of her 'treatments' at the Red Room." Clint answered instantly, barely glancing at the screen again. "Did you know that, Rogers?"

Steve's nose flared with anger but he remained silent.

Clint smirked and turned back to Tony. "Why does it matter?"

Tony held back a retort; there were more important things right now. "It reacted with a gas which put her to sleep- which was what the gas was supposed to do, but that means she'll be sleeping for four hours or so."

"Hours?" Rhodey questioned, wide-eyed.

"But she'll be okay?" Steve asked, ignoring Rhodey's reaction.

Bruce nodded. "It seems so, yes. She'll probably be disoriented when she wakes up, but health-wise she'll be alright." Steve sighed in relief, giving Natasha's hand a squeeze.

"Rhodey, go and greet the guests and tell them there's been a delay. Steve, can you go and get Pepper?" Tony ask-ordered, looking around at everybody. "Bruce and Clint, can you see if you can work out a counter based on how much she could have been exposed to?" He turned to his laptop. "Jarvis, I need all of the components of both chemicals- now." He finished.

"Yes, Sir." Jarvis replied, the list appearing on the screen.

Bruce grabbed Clint's arm and pulled him aside to begin the work on their assigned task.

Rhodey walked out of the room instantly, although he didn't look pleased with his assignment.

Steve was scowling- not directly at any specific person, but it was clear he was angry and distressed. "I'll be back in five minutes. Try not to gas anyone else, Stark." He snarked before leaving, footsteps heavier than usual.

"I'll gas you all if you don't shut up," Tony muttered, looking through all of the information so far- there must be some way to reverse it.

* * *

Pepper slipped her other shoe on and sighed. Where was Natasha? The ceremony was starting soon, and she _needed_ her maid of honour! She paced the length of her room once more.

There was a hasty knock on the door and she shouted, "Come in!" Steve rushed in, a strange look on his face.

"Pepper, Tony sent me to get you. Come on, we need to get down to the lab." He said quickly, turning right back around and leaving the room. When she didn't follow, he returned. "Pepper, come on."

"The wedding is not happening in his lab, no matter how many times he asks." Pepper turned away from him, checking her lipstick and reapplying it. "Do you know where Natasha is?"

Steve stepped into the room further, looking very, very anxious. "There was an accident in the lab-"

She swung around, her eyes wide. "Is Tony okay?"

"He's fine, but- I'll let him explain it. Please, come on, I want to get back there." Steve almost begged.

Pepper spent about two seconds staring at herself in the dress before grabbing Tony's longest dressing gown and putting it on- it successfully hid the majority of her dress. She took off the veil and then rushed after Steve, who had once again left without her. Why had she chosen to wear three-inch heels?

She stopped short outside of the lab, having finally caught up with Steve. "Wait, is my dress hidden? Could I wait out here and talk through Jarvis?"

Steve looked at her with hesitation. "I'm not sure if there'll be a wedd-"

"What?!" Pepper screeched. What kind of emergency _was_ this? She ended up barging into the laboratory. "What's going on?" She demanded right before her eyes fell on Natasha.

Tony approached with his hands up placatingly. "It was an accident, she'll be fine." He reassured.

"My maid of…" Pepper paused, letting out a frustrated sigh. "What happened to Natasha? Who knocked her out? Because I'm going to knock them out."

Tony winced. "It was kinda… me…" At her heated glare, he backed up just slightly. "It was an accident! I didn't think she'd react to the gas!" He defended, going to hide behind Steve.

"Stark, stop being childish." Steve scolded, moving away from the shorter man to stand by Natasha.

"If you didn't want to get married, there were better ways to stop the wedding than knocking my maid of honour out!" Pepper retorted, pretty much ignoring everybody. She heard that Natasha was okay, and as soon as she learnt that, she was happy to be pissed. She turned and stormed out of the lab.

"Pepper!" Tony called, sprinting after her. "Pepper, hang on." He grabbed her arm gently and stopped her, looking down into her eyes genuinely. "Of course I want to get married. I would never dream of trying to stop the wedding." He assured.

Pepper sighed. "You need to get back to Natasha. I'm going to change and we can talk this through later- when she isn't passed out in your lab and hopefully before she kills you."

Tony nodded slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Alright." He agreed, turning and heading back to the lab.

She groaned, walking back to her room, taking one last look in the mirror before picking up one of the clipboards, looking over all the arrangements. It shouldn't be too hard to get it moved to another time or day- she didn't want an ice sculpture, anyway. That was all Tony.

* * *

Natasha felt peaceful, like she was waking up from a dreamless sleep- one without nightmares. Everything was slowly fading into focus and she felt so relaxed- did she have a proper sleep? That didn't happen very often. First, she felt the surface of the metal table beneath, then the fogginess moved from her head and she heard voices.

"She should be awake by now."

"Relax, Capsicle. It takes time."

Steve was there, and Tony. She remembered everything going black and being caught by somebody; somebody who wasn't Steve- she would have recognised that instantly. But it was familiar. Who was in the room? It wasn't Bruce who had caught her. What did Rhodey's arms feel like? Tony? Tony caught her, and knocked her out. Was she angry at Tony? No. Shouldn't she be?

"Her vitals are picking up- that's good."

"Nat? Can you hear me?" The voice was quiet but right by her ear.

Natasha consciously kept her eyes closed; she wanted to get all of her senses back, work out what was going on in the room- she never fully relied on her sight. With a sniff, she opened her eyes after a second- they instantly scanned the room.

"She's awake!"

"Ask if she has any pain anywhere."

"Natasha," Steve asked, leaning closer to her, "Are you in any pain?" His eyes were bright with concern.

Natasha swiftly moved her left hand up and punched him in the face- it was a light punch. "That's for not catching me." She muttered before sitting up, ignoring the dizziness. When had Clint got here? And Pepper- oh god, she wasn't wearing her dress. "How long was I out for?"

Steve was clutching his face. "Ah! How did you know?" He demanded, shocked.

"About four hours," Tony informed, ignoring Steve.

Natasha nodded blankly for a few moments, four hours. Four hours. Four… Think Natasha, what happened in four hours. She looked up again, not knowing when she looked down. "The minister had a wedding after yours, but then was free, so I'm sure you could convince him to come back. We are barely in the reception time, so all the guests would still be here. Are we still doing the wedding? I don't want to hurt a groom on his wedding day." Natasha spoke, talking out loud to them all after she regained her thoughts. Although she still wasn't angry at Tony and looked at him. "Thanks for catching me." She added, looking around, mildly confused- but she couldn't work out what she was confused about.

Tony offered his trademark smirk. "No prob," He said, waving it off. "Jarvis, call the minister." He added, directing it towards the ceiling.

"Right away, Sir." Jarvis replied.

Pepper lurched forward and grabbed Natasha in a tight hug.

Natasha hugged her back, letting out a sigh. "Am I still wearing shoes?" She questioned randomly.

Clint stepped closer. "Yes, you're still wearing your high heels. I'm glad you are awake."

"Yeah, glad you aren't permanently damaged, Romanoff." Tony added. He patted her shoulder before jerking back when she pushed him. He quickly walked away from her and over to his computer terminal, typing furiously.

"Are you feeling okay?" Steve asked, clearly concerned but doing a pretty good job of not glomping her with it. He kept an adequate distance between them, and was eyeing her like she would sock him again if he moved.

Natasha stood up, looking around before focusing on him, and taking hold of his arm as she got her bearings- her legs felt like jelly. "Yes. I'm fine; thanks, Steve. But right now, we should focus on the wedding- after all, that's why we're all here."

He nodded understandingly, looking relieved. "You're right. Tony, the minister available?" He asked, moving one arm to her upper back to support her.

Tony nodded. "Yep. Was on his way home, but he was nice enough to fit us in." He explained, visibly adding to the minister's pay. "Ceremony's set for thirty minutes from now- everybody can get ready by then, right?"

"Thirty minutes!?" Pepper and Natasha exclaimed.

"Do you know how long it takes to get ready?" Pepper asked, gesturing to the tracksuit and trainers she wore.

Natasha held back a smile. "How about we go and get you ready, then?" She suggested, to which Pepper agreed immediately. "Tony- Don't touch anything. I'm trusting you guys to make sure he gets down the aisle in one piece." She broke from Steve and strutted out of the lab with Pepper- she didn't care how much effort it took, there _was_ going to be a wedding. That was her duty as the maid-of-honour.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Shout out for my CO-WRITER, ThisVioletofMine- Don't forget about her! :D**


	15. The wedding

**Author's Note:**

 **Howdy! I shall continue my typical thank you of all those amazing human beings (or aliens) who have graced me with a wonderful review. Now, I haven't replied to most of them, so I'll do it now! If you didn't review, you might want to just skip past the rest of the bold!:**

 ** _Baibe_ : I hope the wedding goes off without any hitches too! Poor Pepper might not be able to cope with another one!**

 ** _Sportsfan_ : Thanks! Aww! I had contemplated some memory loss, actually, but decided against it :P I have to admit, I probably had a bit too fun with the Steve and Clint little... dispute- it was originally longer, and a lot more harsh. ThisVioletofMine was ecstatic to see her name mentioned in a review! So, thank you very much!**

 ** _RomanogerLaucifer:_ Haha! I'm glad you approve of Natasha's violence! I was a tad worried they'll it'll seem too... out of place. And don't apologise for a short review, it was still enough for me! :D**

 ** _TheJollyRoger:_ Hello there! Clint might have been a tad... mean. Hehe! You don't have to wait any longer for the wedding!**

 ** _Javie-1998:_ The red room, they always interfere. I would die if something like that happened on my wedding day! To me, Pepper was rather civil! Haha, yes, Nat was probably more annoyed at Steve for not catching her, than Pepper was at Tony for gassing her MOH. **

**_Princess2016:_ Thanks! I don't think I couldn't have written her not being okay for very long, if I was honest with you. **

**_Guest_ : Thanks! I will keep writing!" :D**

 ** _Moustache123_ : Haha! I'm sorry that they are not longer. But spoiler alert, one or two of the upcoming chapters are longer, if I remember correctly!**

 ** _grossly-sweet:_ Hmm... Jealous or over-protective, who knows. Haha! She's a trooper! -was it a nice rest?- Hmm... I hadn't thought of her wanting it. Interesting thought. Haha, I'm not sure Steve knows the extent of her... awful experiences. **

**_Amy Hamato:_ Yep, he will... I guess it'll come down to how. **

**_LilyRose12_ : Wowzers, I'll take that as a good thing! Thanks!**

* * *

Tony adjusted his tie, smoothing it down as the music started. He turned and looked down the aisle, his face instantly brightening when Pepper appeared at the door. It felt like it was only her in the room, even though he logically knew they weren't alone, but he couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

As she got closer, her smile brightened, too. They met and clasped hands. "Hey."

"Hey."

The priest barely waited before beginning. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the face of this company, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony; which is an honourable estate, instituted of God, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church: which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee, and is commended of Saint Paul to be honourable among all men: and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God. Into this holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. If any man can show just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace." He paused, scanning the crowd.

Tony and Pepper broke eye contact to look around, both showing relief at nobody opening their mouths. Tony zoned everything out until it got to their vows.

"Pepper, I didn't know that this level of happiness existed- if I had, I would have ditched the bottle years ago. You are the best thing that has happened to me… apart from being rich." He grinned at her cheekily. "I promise to love you without reservation, to listen to you and obey you. Today, I give myself to you in marriage, and only you. You are my one and only true love."

Pepper smiled and replied with her own vows. "Anthony Stark… Without you, I doubt I'd be who I am today. My life wouldn't be nearly as hectic, loud, or dangerous. But it also wouldn't be as fun, as adventurous, or as loving as the life you've helped me develop. I promise to stay true to you, listen to and obey you. I love you with all of my heart, with all of my soul, with all of my being. And today I join you in the blessed unity of marriage. With you, I know my future is guaranteed to be amazing in every possible way."

"With the power vested in me, I now announce you man and wife; you may now kiss the bride."

Tony smiled before pulling her into a secure embrace and kissing her. After a few minutes, he was patted on the back. "Everybody's watching, dude- part."

Tony pulled back with a laugh and they turned to the priest.

"It is my honour to introduce the new Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Stark."

There was a round of applause and Tony leant into Pepper. "How long until we can sneak away and consummate the marriage?"

* * *

Steve watched with a fond smile as Tony and Pepper shared the first dance. He found himself lightly swaying with the slow melody and his eyes would flicker to Natasha of their own accord every once and awhile. She looked so stunning. If only they had been paired up for the dance- sadly, the maid of honour was expected to dance with the best man, Rhodey.

The music faded and Tony ended their dance with a kiss before leading his wife back to the wedding party's table, indicating that it was now time for the bridesmaids and groomsmen to pair up and dance.

Steve was paired with Stephanie, a tiny blonde woman who was sweet enough, but also had a bad habit of getting a little _too_ close for comfort. Her breath always smelled of cigarettes, too, as he'd found out, so that made her constant proximity very unpleasant.

As practiced, he took her hands and led her through the simple slow dance, with her instantly pressing herself against him despite the many times prior he'd expressed a dislike to it. Considering this was _the_ big dance, though, he could hardly stop dancing and scold her. So he just went along with it awkwardly. He shot a wistful glance at where Natasha and Rhodey were dancing. They worked pretty well together, he had to admit, but he still wished he could be the one leading her through the rather intimate dance.

"Aren't you supposed to keep your eyes on your partner?" Stephanie asked from his lower chest, where her head was laying.

"Um, right, of course." He replied. He adjusted his grip and twirled her, which proved a bit difficult as she was in the wrong position to transition into the move. She giggled and returned to his chest.

 _It's only for tonight,_ Steve reminded himself. After this, he could dance with Natasha to his heart's content- or at least until she got fed up and shot him.

Still, he was saddened that he couldn't share this rather significant dance with her.

He felt a hand on his arm and a quick tug suddenly found him flat against Natasha, an awkward-looking Rhodey behind her, asking Stephanie to dance. The blonde spluttered for a moment until she bit her lip and nodded, taking his arm.

Steve looked down at Natasha in surprise for a moment before his brain caught up. "Hey there," He greeted with a smile. His heart fluttered at the opportunity to dance with her.

"You looked uncomfortable, so I thought I'd save you," Natasha replied with a matching smile.

"My hero," He commented and twirled her. She completed the move perfectly before returning to the original position. "You're much more fun to dance with."

A small puzzled expression made its way to her face for a split second before she smiled contently. "You know what?" She asked rhetorically before continuing. "I _do_ love you."

Steve was pretty sure his heart stopped for a split second before it began again, much faster than what was surely healthy. "You- really?" He asked, voice failing, the question coming out as a shocked whisper.

Natasha looked highly amused. "No need to make this a bigger deal than it is. It's just three words, Steve- well, I said four."

His face split into a fantastic grin that he couldn't repress in the slightest. "Yes, it is just three words. But they're the most important three words of my life." He said genuinely, holding her tighter. His cheeks were beginning to hurt from the force of the smile that he couldn't remove from his face. "I love you, too." He kissed the crown of her head and twirled her again, admiring how magnificent she looked with her skirt fanning out as she moved elegantly.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you in public," Was her only verbal response before leaning her head back and pulling him into a kiss in the middle of the dance floor.

Steve easily kissed her back, not caring about the other couples pausing and staring at them. He hardly noticed the flashes from the cameras and when Tony started an applause that only grew until half the people in attendance were clapping. His world was solely focused on Natasha and the love that they shared. _Shared_.

* * *

Natasha approached the bar and collected two drinks.

"When did you and Steve become a thing?" Hill asked her as she turned away from whoever she was talking to, giving Natasha her full attention.

"What makes you think we're a thing?"

"The intense makeout session in the middle of the dance floor was a pretty big hint." Hill pointed out. "Who knew Captain America would be the one to get you to break one of your rules."

Natasha smirked. "Which rule are you referring to? I've broken at least four with him." She admitted.

"I need all of the details, right now." Hill demanded.

Natasha held back a frown and just smirked. "I have a proposition for you."

"Really? What's that?" Hill replied, instantly intrigued but slightly skeptical at the change of subject.

"I'll get you a conversation with the Winter Soldier if you agree to, firstly, not arrest or interrogate him, and secondly, make Bucky there feel more comfortable here by asking him to dance."

Hill thought for a moment. "Deal. Who's Bucky?"

"Steve's friend. The one in the corner with the red tie." Natasha answered, pointing him out before turning back to her.

"Definitely a deal. When's my meeting with the Winter Soldier?" Hill asked.

Natasha smiled. "That's entirely up to you. Bucky was brainwashed… and he's the Winter Soldier- not really a murderous drone anymore, though." She smiled slightly wider at Hill's expression. It was shocked but nonetheless determined.

"Bucky?" Maria double-checked before walking off in his direction.

Natasha walked back over to Steve with their drinks.

"What did Agent Hill want?" Steve asked.

"To ask questions about my love life, apparently."

* * *

Rhodey, having long since ditched Stephanie, was now twirling Wanda to a fast-paced song. He laughed at her big smile and led her once more through the steps that they'd only committed to memory a few days prior- they were doing pretty well so far, considering.

Wanda spun into him. "Tony really can throw a party." She commented, her accent thick- like she was making sure people knew where she was from.

Rhodey nodded in agreement. "Yeah, although I think this one was more Pepper's doing than his." He pulled her a little closer and they went through a series of steps.

Wanda's eyes continued to look around in wonder before setting back on him. "Then Pepper really knows how to throw a beautiful party."

"That she does," Rhodey had to shout slightly above the loud music, then had to yank Wanda out of the way of a wildly dancing couple that had been about to run into her. They exchanged looks and burst into laughter before getting back to the dance. Rhodey was looking out over the crowd when he spotted a familiar face. "Hey, there's Clint- I was wondering if he'd show up." He used his free hand to point the man out.

She turned to look at him. "Who is that he's dancing with?" She questioned, tilting her head. "His… boyfriend?"

"Wait, what?" Rhodey did a double take and scanned the people near Clint until he found the one who was dancing closest to him. He sighed. "Oh, no, that's Agent Coulson."

"Who's Agent Coulson?" Wanda asked, looking back at him and away from the two males.

Ah, that's right- she'd never met the agent. "He's an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. He's pretty close with the original Avengers." He explained.

"That _does_ seem pretty close," Wanda commented as Clint and Coulson began doing the waltz, with Coulson taking on the female role. She began laughing at the sight of it.

Okay, that was pretty odd. Sure, they were close, but Rhodey had never seen them _that_ close. "Yeah… Maybe they _are_ together…" He speculated absentmindedly, almost stepping on Wanda's toes in his distraction. He corrected his movements and resumed staring at the two men.

"I wonder why he didn't tell us," Wanda said before whispering, "Stop staring at them."

"Oh, yeah; right." He muttered in embarrassment and hurriedly shifted his gaze to something- _anything_ \- else. And, of course, it was something else that he probably shouldn't have seen. "Holy crap! Is that _Bucky_ dancing with Agent Hill? And they're, like, right up against each other!" He exclaimed.

Wanda twirled around to look. "Bucky- as in the new recruit?" She asked as her eyes found them. "Are they a couple, too? Or are these all wedding hook-ups?"

Rhodey shook his head in confusion. "I don't think so… Bucky's not part of the wedding party, so it wasn't arranged… And that looks a bit too intimate to be a wedding hook-up."

"They should get a room." Wanda advised with a small laugh as she continued to look around before grinning and pulling out a phone, taking pictures. "If they are actually drunk, this would be great to blackmail them with later."

"That's smart," Rhodey complimented with a smirk. "Who would've thought? The Agent and the ex-Winter Soldier."

She shrugged in response. "It makes as much sense as the spy and the soldier." She pointed out, her phone now pointed at Steve and Natasha to snap a few pictures. Although it quickly went away when Natasha glanced pointedly at her.

Rhodey cringed and tried to hide his face from Natasha's subtle wrath, locking eyes guiltily with his partner in crime. "Crap! She saw us!" He whispered loudly. "Let's get out of here."

Wanda agreed instantly. "Good idea." They both quickly darted out of the room together.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **As I love all of my reviewers so much! My co-writer and I have decided to write a bonus scene! This bonus scene will be PMed to everybody that reviews this chapter!***

 **A lot has happened in this chapter, let me know which part(s) were you favourite!**

 _ ***Only account holders, as it's impossible to PM a guest reviewer. This bonus scene will not be in the next chapter, it's in addition to this scene. Reviewers after the next chapter is posted, may be delayed in receiving bonus chapter, due to I don't know what I'll be doing in the future.**_


	16. Post-Wedding drama

**Author Note:**

 **Oh, hello there! What brings you onto this chapter? Oh, you want to read it? See what's going to happen post-wedding? Well, as you're already here, I might aswell give you a chapter!**

 **For those who questioned about me ending the story right now, or in the next chapter, that is not the case. Even though technically, the title, 'Learning to Love' has been accomplished, there's a few more twists and turns before this story will come to a close! There's more than just saying those three little words!**

 **Huge thank you to the spectacular reviewers from the last chapter:** **Baibe; supesfan18; Sportsfan64; SP12122015; MiyaTanuki; Javie-1998; RomanogerLaucifer; Jhessill; grossly-sweet; MiDGEt.x3; Moustache1234; TheJollyRoger; LilyRose14; Princess2016; HeroPilot; Amy Hamato; RocketRaccoon15.**

* * *

Wanda rolled over on the bed, pulling the covers up to her head as she went back to sleep; she never liked mornings. Her eyes opened after a few seconds as everything that happened yesterday came flooding back to her- along with the headache from drinking too much- and the realisation that she was naked. She rolled over and froze as she saw that Rhodey was, in fact, in the bed with her- also naked. What did one do in situations like this?

"Mmgh…" Rhodey mumbled as he rolled over to face her, eyes screwed shut. "Wha'timeissit?" He slurred.

"Oh… uhm…" Wanda picked up her phone. "A bit after eight." She answered, holding the covers to her chest as she leant off the bed in attempt to reach the dress she wore yesterday.

"Mm'kay…" He replied incoherently before starting to roll over again- only to freeze. "Shit! Wanda?" He turned to stare at her, wide-eyed.

Wanda glanced at him- great, now his eyes were open. "Close your eyes! Don't look at me! I'm not dressed." She pulled the covers tighter against her. Where were they? Definitely not her room- did they return to the Avengers compound at all?

"Okay! Sorry, sorry!" He covered his eyes and turned away again, a more awkward air around him. "I can't believe we…" He didn't finish the sentence.

She glanced at him. "How about we… not ever mention it again?" She suggested. Grabbing her dress and slipping it on, she then searched for her underwear, which was nowhere to be seen.

Rhodey nodded jerkily. "Agreed. Is it safe to look now?"

"Uhm… no… I don't know." Wanda muttered; she saw a robe and grabbed it, putting it on. "Okay, fine." She needed to know where they were so she could get back to her room and shower and forget this ever happened.

He slowly turned back to her, sighing in relief when he found her clothed. "Alright, I'll get dressed, too." He pulled the sheet around his waist as he began searching the room for various articles of clothing. "Seen my left sock anywhere?" He asked after a few minutes of avoided eye contact.

Wanda turned away from him. Although, she had to admit, he looked pretty good. "I don't know, but if you see my underwear, throw it my way."

He pulled a face but nodded anyway. "Will do." Eventually he was fully clothed and still scouring the floor for the missing clothing items. "Ah, found them! Here you go." He tossed them to her and turned around as she slipped them on.

Wanda caught them and turned away to put them on. She took off the robe, put on her shoes and tried to fix her hair. "Where are we?"

"My room." He answered curtly and awkwardly. "Ah, my sock!" He pulled it on, balancing on one foot, and then did a little cheer. "I would never hear the end of it from Tony if I lost my sock- he was complaining about someone stealing a pair of his the other day, and I told him to suck it up, so now I've gotta be careful about anything to do with socks." He explained pointlessly.

"Seeing as it's your room, I'm pretty sure you could find another pair of socks." Wanda pointed out, not asking why he was putting his old clothes on when he could put on new clothes from his wardrobe. She slipped the robe back on. "Can I borrow this to head back to my room?"

"Sure," He agreed, not bothering to explain why he couldn't, in fact, find another pair of socks. "See you later." From the look on his face, it was clear he too knew how awkward _that_ would be.

"Yes… for training." Wanda confirmed. She hesitated, feeling like she should say something else, but then quickly exited the room. Once out of his room, she took a breath, realising that she had left her bag and phone in there. She contemplated going back in, but couldn't, instead she hurrying back to her room, thankful to not bump into anybody.

* * *

Natasha stared at the ceiling, analysing every little twirl, every difference from her own ceiling. She had thought sleeping next to Steve would have helped her fall asleep- however, no matter what she did, she couldn't. She didn't want to admit it, but being knocked out really freaked her out- there was no way for her to defend herself.

Even though she told herself that she didn't need to be on the defensive where she was, and if anything did happen, Steve was right beside her, she still couldn't relax completely. Her eyes closed for several minutes but then reopened to glance around the room.

"You still awake?" Steve asked suddenly, startling her. He sounded just as awake as she felt. A quick glance revealed that his eyes were open and looking at her questioningly.

"No." She lied, even though it was obvious she was awake as they were now looking at each other. Plus, answering the question, even in denial, was a giveaway.

A tiny smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. "Me either." He played along patiently. "I'm dreaming about a beautiful woman right now. She's got fiery red hair and big green eyes, and, remarkably enough, puts up with me enough to sleep right beside me." He said wistfully, eyes full of affection. "What are you dreaming about?"

Natasha couldn't stop the corners of her lips turning upwards as she desperately tried to keep a straight face before replying. "I'm dreaming about a handsome male who has dark blonde hair and understanding blue eyes. Who doesn't move when he sleeps, which means he is one of the only people I can actually sleep beside and not want to kill."

His smile grew and he moved a little closer so their noses were almost touching. "Noted." He said quietly. Then his expression faded a little. "Why are you still awake, Nat? Is everything alright?" He asked delicately, not smothering her with his obvious concern, thankfully.

"Too much on my mind, that's all. Why are you still awake?" She replied, inching closer to him, but making sure that they weren't touching- yet.

Steve sighed. "Too much on my mind." He copied. "Sleeping isn't always the easiest for me."

"What's on your mind, then?" Natasha asked, feeling the urge to take his hand, but hesitating; that seemed like a weird thing to do in bed.

He was silent for a few moments. Then he spoke. "I'll tell you if you'll tell me." He compromised.

Natasha stared at him for a long moment, face blank, before she replied. "Not being able to defend myself- your turn."

Steve seemed to take her confession in stride, barely reacting other than to gently place his hand on top of hers. "I'm afraid to fall asleep sometimes… Because there was this one time, a _long_ time ago, where I fell asleep… it felt like it was just a few minutes, really… but when I woke up, everything I knew and loved was long gone, and everything had completely changed while I was asleep. It was like those stories of people saying aliens abducted them in the night; I woke up in an alien world." He paused to take a deep breath. "I guess I'm just afraid that one day I'll wake up and everything I fell asleep with will be dead and gone again." It was fairly dark in the bedroom, but from the pale light of the moon shining through the rather thin curtains, she could barely see his eyes getting suspiciously wet-looking. "It's stupid, though, right?" He blurted derisively, swiping his forearm over his eyes quickly.

"It's not stupid- the fear that you'll lose everything in a heartbeat is actually pretty common." Natasha replied with a supportive smile. "But that's not going to happen, okay? You won't ever have to go through that again- I will not let that happen to you."

Steve squeezed her hand slightly and sent her a genuine smile. "Thank you." He said simply. "And don't worry about not being able to defend yourself- I can defend you when you're unable to. And I die before I let you get hurt." He promised.

She nodded. "Thanks, but I'd rather you not get yourself killed for me- especially if I'm only going to get injured." With a quick breath, she slid a bit closer to him. "You go sleep and I'll make sure that when you wake up, nothing drastic has changed."

He exhaled slightly before nodding. "Thanks, Nat." Then he pulled her into his arms and closed his eyes. "And I'll keep you safe while _you_ sleep." He explained sleepily, tucking her head under his chin.

Natasha snuggled slightly to get more comfortable. The steady heartbeat under her head was constant throughout the entire night, which helped her relax tremendously, but she wasn't able to actually fall into a proper sleep.

* * *

Natasha closed her eyes as she took a deep breath before doing another flip and launching a variety of kicks at the imaginary opponent. The hot sun was beating down on her. She was honestly not sure how long she had been out here, but she needed to focus on staying alert and not letting anybody get the best of her and knock her out.

It didn't hit her how much having no control and being knocked out really affected her- she hated feeling defenseless, and, even more, hated having no control over being knocked out. She didn't lose in a fight, she wasn't bested, she _trusted_ that somebody wouldn't do something stupid- and then lie down for _hours_ without the ability to defend herself.

Her eyes snapped open as she sensed someone approaching; she noticed Steve instantly and continued with her training.

"Hey, Nat," He greeted, not quite acknowledging her foul mood. "What's up?"

"Nothing." Natasha replied shortly, being sure to step away from him as she threw a hand combination. What she needed was a real fight where she could imbed a knife into somebody else- multiple times.

Steve winced a little at the harsh treatment of her imaginary opponent and held out a water bottle. "Figured you'd need this considering you've been out in the hot sun for hours." He said kindly, ending up tossing it to her when she didn't immediately move.

She caught the bottle, halting in her movements. "If I needed or wanted water, I think I am perfectly capable of getting it myself." She informed him before downing the whole contents of the water- maybe she _did_ need it. It was only after she finished the water and threw the bottle back to him that she realised that she completely trusted that the water was not poisoned- what was wrong with her? Had she forgotten _all_ of her training?

He caught it easily and smiled a little. "So what's bothering you?" He asked, eyes clearly daring her to argue. "And don't say 'nothing', because I've known you long enough that I can tell when there's something on your mind. Can I help?"

"I've been laxing on my training." Natasha stated, silently ordering him not to argue that point with her.

Steve looked at her oddly for a moment before chuckling. "How so? Because last I checked, you could still take down ten men who were thrice your size- while blindfolded. With a broken leg. Or am I remembering Mission Grapefruit incorrectly?" His face indicated he knew perfectly well that his memory was accurate.

"I could do that when I was fourteen; I'm thirty-one now. I haven't improved at all." Natasha informed him. However, now that she had stopped, she realised that she was hungry and estimated that it was probably past the time she usually ate dinner at. "Do you think that is very efficient?" She knew she shouldn't be so hard on him, but… she didn't like being interrupted during training unless there was an emergency.

"Natasha, 'haven't improved at all' my ass. Just last month you took down twice as many men with machine guns and escaped without injury! How is that not an improvement?" Steve argued, indignant on behalf of her suppressed pride.

Natasha stared at him for at least three seconds before continuing a sequence. "I have to stay in shape. Feel free to join me."

"Alright." He agreed, falling into step beside her. "What's the plan, then?"

"I was thinking training until it got dark," Natasha answered.

Steve gave her another odd look. "Nat, that's over five hours away. Don't you think that's a bit excessive?"

"Not particularly." Natasha paused her movements and sighed, her shoulders slumping. "It's all I know; training from dawn to dusk is the most natural thing to me."

Steve sighed before nodding. "Alright, then I guess that's the plan. What's first?" He asked, already trying to copy her pose.

Natasha turned slowly, her movements controlled as her thoughts took over. Damn. Maybe she could disappear for a month to clear her mind? Nah, that wasn't a good idea. "I heard that Sam was cooking curry tonight." She commented, glancing up at the sky. "Which would probably be in about an hour. How about we head in and get cleaned up?"

"That works, too." Steve conceded, grabbing her bag for her and carrying it without a word. She walked with in step with him.

* * *

Natasha rolled over, stretching her legs out before she sat up and glanced around. After a second of insuring everything was fine around she, she leant against the backboard and looked at Steve, who was pushing himself into a seated position. "Good morning."

"'Morning," He replied with a yawn. "Sleep well?"

"I did. And you?" Natasha replied. She was still getting used to 'pillow talk', the same questions every night and morning. Always asking the other how they are, every time they see each other, even if it had only been five minutes.

"Sure did." He confirmed, stretching his arms before leaning against the headboard with a pleased sigh. "How long have you been up?"

"Less than two minutes," Natasha answered. She smiled slightly at the thought of asking him how long he'd been awake- which was silly because she knew. She couldn't help herself, though. "You?"

He smiled a little and rubbed an eye before raising a brow. "'bout thirty seconds." He answered. "I know I _should_ get up, but I really don't feel like it." He said lazily.

"Well, don't expect me to stay around longer than five minutes. I'd rather not waste my day away," Natasha replied.

He smirked slightly. "That's enough time, I suppose. I've been meaning to ask you something."

She put on a timer. "Four minutes, fifty-two seconds." She teased. "Go on, then, I'm listening."

Steve turned to face her more. "Would you be willing to move in here with me?" He said bluntly.

"Excuse me? We live in the same building- don't we technically _already_ live together?" Natasha asked. She thought about what he was really asking- moving two bags in here instead of in her room- which were always packed. Why was he making it seem like a bigger deal than that? One was already in here, so she could dress in the mornings.

"Not really. I mean in terms of sharing a room- this room belonging to both of us instead of you just spending the night." He explained.

"Steve, it's just a room. I don't mind staying here every night; you don't snore or steal the covers, so I'm cool with it." Natasha replied.

He smiled widely and put an arm around her shoulders. "I'm glad." He said simply before standing up and getting some clothes from the dresser. "I can help you move your stuff in here after morning training."

"It's fine, I'll grab my bag later." Natasha answered, sliding out of bed and pulling her clothes from her other bag.

"'Bag'? Don't you have more stuff than a single bag?" Steve asked a bit incredulously as he pulled on some sweatpants.

"I have two: a go-bag and another bag. It fits all of my things in perfectly and is easy to travel with. It's not like I stay around in the same place for too long. It doesn't make sense to have to repack every time." Natasha answered in detail as she got dressed whilst pulling the covers on the bed to make it.

He paused his getting dressed to help make the bed before pulling a shirt over his head. "True, I guess." He conceded.

Natasha finished getting dressed. "I was thinking about teaching you how to make porridge… well, trying _again_."

Steve pulled a face and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. "I think I can figure it out, Nat," He called back at her before the sounds of bristles on teeth were heard.

Natasha rolled her eyes and muttered to herself, "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Because of how well the 'bonus scene' from the last chapter went, ThisVioletofMine and I decided to do it again! Everybody that reviews (same conditions as before) will get the bonus scene PMed to them! It is completely different, btw!**

 **Anyway, let me know how you liked this chapter! What you think might happen and anything you'd like to see! :D**


	17. Girls Night

**Author's note:**

 **Hello there! Can you believe we are at chapter 17! Unbelievable! Hmm... how much longer are you all wanting this to go on? I could probably write until a hundred chapters! Let me know, haha!**

 **A huge, ginormous thank you to my fantabulous (yes, that's a word, right?) reviewers, you all are incredible: Amy Hamato; Javie-1998 (my VIP reader); Sportsfan64; Baibe; Moustache1234; TheJollyRoger; LilyRose14; HeroPilot; MESPX13; MiyuTanuki; RocketRaccoon15; RollinWithCodineAndASwisha (Awesome name); Princess2016; Chocolatelover2001; RomanogerLaucifer; Aalliyah 246 (Although, you reviewed chapter 15, not 16 :P) and finally (but not least, just most recent), supesfan18!**

 **I... am just going to let you get to the story! Haha! (I might be a tad hyper :P)**

 **oooh... Quick note! Longest chapter yet!**

* * *

Natasha groaned inwardly. "Girls' night? Really?"

"Yes, it would be fun! Don't you want to know how the honeymoon went?" Pepper asked down the line.

"Not particularly; I presume it was just a whole load of sex." Natasha commented.

"Come on, you're my maid of honour!" Pepper replied.

Natasha stopped what she was doing- that was still in effect? But the wedding was over. "Fine- on one condition. I get to bring somebody with me."

"That's fine! Maria will be here, too!" Pepper replied. "They have to be female, though; after all, it's a _girls'_ night. See you at seven!"

Natasha sighed. "Yeah." She hung up, her lips pursed. She couldn't take Laura, for obvious reasons, so what about…? Her lips curved upwards. She knew exactly who to take.

* * *

Natasha walked into the elevator with Wanda, who was looking as uncomfortable as she felt. "Stop fidgeting; it's just Pepper and Maria." She said as an attempt to comfort the younger female.

"Sorry," Wanda apologised quickly, biting her lip. "I just haven't been to a 'girls' night' before." When the doors opened, she waited for Natasha to step forward first to lead the way. The girl had shy tendencies, but this was a whole new level of shyness. "What does one do at a girls' night?" She asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine- Pepper mentioned talking about her honeymoon, so I presume it's about sex." Natasha informed her before walking into the lounge where Pepper and Maria were already talking.

"There you are!" Pepper exclaimed upon seeing them. She jumped up and enveloped them both in a hug. "We couldn't have fun until you'd arrived!"

Wanda shrank back just a little before relaxing and even half-returning the embrace. "Thank you for having me." She said politely.

Natasha shrugged out of the hug and chose to greet Maria instead with a handshake and pointed look that only the two of them understood. "Maria, you remember Wanda. Wanda, Maria Hill."

Maria stepped forward, extending her hand to her. "It's a pleasure to properly meet you, Wanda."

Wanda returned the gesture and shook her hand with a smile. "The pleasure is all mine, Maria."

Pepper led the way to the lounge area and they all took a seat. "So… who's going to ask about my honeymoon?" She asked excitedly.

Natasha chuckled slightly at her impatience. "Pepper, how was… oh, Maria, what was going on with you and Bucky? I said to talk to him, not jump him."

"Pepper, how was your honeymoon?" Maria asked, avoiding the question.

Pepper almost squealed. "It was _amazing_! We went to Barcelona, Spain, and got to see such beautiful places there! I even took a flamenco dancing lesson!" She regaled.

Wanda leaned forward a bit. "Oh, flamenco dancing? I have heard of that!" She nodded. "It looks very fun."

"It was!" Pepper agreed with a big smile. "Tony got me all these gifts, too. Look at this necklace!" She lifted it from her clavicle and showed it off.

"Woah, that looks great," Maria commented.

"Yeah, almost like he's compensating for something else." Natasha inputted, a smirk on her face. "Did he do anything- dare I ask- romantic?"

Pepper was undaunted by the remark. "Oh, yes! He went on walks with me as we toured the city… You'd be surprised how nice it is for him to just… slow down and dedicate so much time to me. It was so peaceful and… amazing." She seemed almost breathless as she described it. "Oh, if it were possible, I'm pretty sure I would have married him a second time- we just fell even more in love."

Natasha nodded. "That actually does sound pretty nice." She admitted.

Wanda nodded in agreement, eyes wide. "I did not know Tony Stark could have such a capacity for adult relationships," she admitted. "Who knew he was such the romantic?"

Pepper laughed. "I thought the same, actually. Then I married him."

"And he didn't knock anybody out, create a killer robot or anything else?" Natasha questioned, actually surprised right now- she hadn't been expecting this type of conversation.

Maria looked at Pepper in disbelief. "You can't tell me you didn't at least do _something_ questionable."

Pepper smirked. "Oh, no, we did _lots_ of questionable stuff." She waggled her eyebrows. "Let's just say we barely slept the entire week."

Wanda cleared her throat awkwardly, cheeks red. "Who ran the company while you were gone?" She asked pointedly.

"Actually, that was Nat." Pepper informed, gesturing to the aforementioned woman. "Thanks again, by the way," she added to Natasha.

"It was fine; after the first day, nobody called me with any irrelevant questions." Natasha replied nonchalantly. "If you don't mind, I want to hear more about Bucky and Maria."

"What?" Pepper demanded in shock, whipping to face Maria. "You and Bucky are a thing?"

Maria glared at Natasha. "Thanks for that. We're not a thing… we just had a thing… at your wedding." She admitted.

"What?" Now Wanda was staring. "You admit that was a thing? Rhodey thought you'd never say anything about it!"

"I think we can all agree that having sex is definitely the definition of having a 'thing'." Maria pointed out. "And why were you and Rhodey talking about me and Bucky?" She asked, obviously trying to deflect.

"We saw you dancing together at the reception." Wanda replied innocently. "You were going at it pretty intensely, too."

Natasha raised an eyebrow at her. "Was that before or after you and Rhodey left together?" She questioned pointedly.

"You and Rhodey left together?" Maria questioned, her face half lightening and half darkening at this information- Natasha knew that as her payback face.

Wanda blushed. "We… Yes, because _she_ was giving us the I'm-going-to-kill-you glare!" She defended, pointing at Natasha.

"Hang on… You and _Rhodey_?" Pepper was asking in surprise. Her question was ignored by a furiously blushing Wanda.

"I did see Wanda sneaking back into her room wearing a man's robe the night after." Natasha informed them helpfully.

"Don't make me magic you," Wanda warned in embarrassment.

Pepper, meanwhile, was sidling over to sit by Wanda, resting an arm around her shoulders. "Kid, we've all been there. We're all friends here- you don't need to be so anxious." She soothed with a lopsided grin. "Have you two talked it over yet?"

Wanda hunched over a little and shook her head. "No. It's been too awkward between us lately." Pepper winced in sympathy.

"Want me to lock you two in a room and force him to talk?" Natasha questioned.

Maria raised an eyebrow. "Or do you need advice?"

Wanda peered up at her rather pitifully. "Do you have any advice to give?"

Pepper patted her gently. "Wanda, like I said, we've all been there. I was in that situation with Tony a few years back, when we still barely knew each other." She revealed. Wanda's eyes widened.

"And you're married now… How did that work out?"

"It's a _long_ , frustrating story." Pepper sighed. "I'll be sure to lay it all out later."

"Do you want to start a relationship with him?" Maria asked Wanda.

The girl looked totally flustered as she thought it over. "Well, uhm, we… I mean, I-I guess so." She finally got the answer out.

"Then you both need to lay everything on the table and work out if you two would work, and how you both want to proceed." Maria pointed out.

Natasha picked up a beer. "Or you could just keep sleeping with him and see where things go." She suggested.

Wanda batted her eyes and looked at Natasha a little _too_ innocently. "Is that what's going on between you and Steve?"

Pepper easily picked up the conversation. "That's right- you two are together! How's that been?" She asked Natasha eagerly.

"Tell us." Maria encouraged.

Great, Natasha knew this was going to backfire on her. "This are going well- look at any magazine and you'll see us." To prove this, she grabbed a magazine and flicked through it, ignoring Tony and Pepper on the front cover. "There we are." She showed them the page of her and Steve with locked lips on the dance floor. She glanced at Wanda. "It's not just sex, by the way."

Wanda just smirked and didn't reply.

"Okay, that's what we see in a magazine- what are things like between you?" Pepper urged. "I know what I'm talking about, too- Tony and I live a totally different life in private."

Natasha thought about that question for a few seconds- totally different in private? Was _she_ totally different? Was _he_? "Things between us are the same; we work alongside each other in work and…" She paused, "...when we're not at work. It's all about trust." She answered.

"That's very romantic for you; that should be in your vows if you two get married." Maria commented, to which Natasha rolled her eyes.

Pepper's face lit up. "Yeah! When will _I_ be _your_ maid of honour?" She asked hopefully. "Oh, I can just imagine you in a pretty dress… It would be such a beautiful ceremony, too!"

"You wouldn't be my maid of honour. And why would we even get married?" Natasha questioned.

Pepper pouted. "Because it's the ultimate show of your undying love for each other! It's a promise to never leave his side, no matter what happens! It's a way to show the world that you're off the market! It's a commitment to grow old together and always love each other!" She looked rather dreamy, the newlywed euphoria still affecting her, clearly.

"Do you know how many married men I had to sleep with in the KGB?" Natasha rhetorically questioned. "If a guy, or girl, wants to sleep with somebody else, they will- a silly piece of paper or a ring on a finger doesn't change a thing. Trust me."

"You are very cynical." Wanda noted. "There is self-control, you know. Not all men would sleep with another woman solely based on his desires. Don't you think Steve would reject that kind of advance from a woman other than you? What about that woman at the reception? I heard you twisted her arm- was he kissing her?"

"That's not what I meant. It doesn't make a difference if the man is married or not; if he wants to cheat, he will." Natasha stated. "And no, of course he wasn't kissing her- he's not the type to cheat."

Wanda laughed quietly but didn't offer a counter, instead turning to Pepper. "I heard she was _jealous_."

Pepper smirked and began retelling the tale of Natasha's Adventures in Jealousyland.

* * *

Natasha had returned from Stark's a few moments ago and was checking her phone as she walked into the living room, where Steve was just taking off his running shoes. "Hey."

"Hey," He replied, taking another swig from his water bottle. He'd just gotten back from morning training. "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?" He went to change his shirt.

"Not really. Hill is planning on coming by tomorrow," Natasha answered, dropping her phone to the side.

"When?" Steve asked, pulling on a clean shirt and turning to face her. "She's not coming at four in the morning like she did last time, right?"

Natasha shrugged. "She mentioned afternoon. But Hill is always early."

"Yeah, no kidding." He replied somewhat sarcastically. "She wakes up early, too, and makes _me_ spar with her before sunrise- _long_ before sunrise!" He complained. "I don't _care_ if I'm Captain America; I want to _sleep_ when I have the chance to!"

"You don't have to get up and greet her; just stay in bed, then," She replied casually, examining her nails.

Steve looked mildly offended. "But that would be incredibly rude!" He exclaimed, sounding just horrified at the thought of not getting up to greet a visitor.

Natasha scoffed. "Steve, it's normal. You don't need to greet everybody; it's not your duty. Honestly, it's not like she's coming to see _you_ or anything."

That made him pause. "I didn't know you two were such close friends." He commented with a raised brow. "She's coming all this way for something _other than_ something Avengers-related?"

A smirk graced her lips. "She's actually coming here to see Bucky."

"Why?" Steve asked, suddenly concerned. "They're not going to get him in more trouble, right?"

"No, it's _nothing_ like that, Steve." Natasha informed him, tugging at his shirt. "I think it's something more… physical." She prompted.

He blanched. "I… did _not_ need to hear that." He said, sounding traumatised. "What they do in private doesn't need to be spoken of aloud."

Natasha laughed. "They make a cute couple. I'm surprised you didn't notice them at Tony's wedding; their hands were all over each other… _all over."_ She teased.

Steve made a slight vomiting sound. "Seriously, why would you put that image in my head? It's… _weird_. Ugh. And when the hell did _they_ happen?" He demanded.

"Tony's wedding," Natasha answered, a smirk still planted on her face. She wondered if she should continue to torture him or if she should just drop it. "I think it's helping Bucky- adjust to things."

Steve gagged again. "Yeah, I'm sure it's _really_ helpful." He gasped sarcastically. "I think I'm gonna be sick. _Thanks_ , Natasha. Now please do me a favour and never bring _that_ up again."

"I thought you would be used to Bucky dating." Natasha replied, innocently smiling up at him.

"Yeah, but I prefer _not_ thinking about my childhood friend's… _activities_." He said, pulling a face. "Just don't talk about _that_ and we're all good."

"I just thought Bucky would have spoken to you about it- at least at some point." Natasha replied. What happened to 'guy talk' she heard so much about? "Can we paint your walls? They're just so… Tony Stark. It annoys me."

"Tony annoys you?" He asked teasingly before looking thoughtful and nodding in agreement. "Yeah, you're right, let's paint 'em."

Natasha nodded. "Doesn't he annoy you?" She questioned as she looked around, examining the walls. Black? Nah, too dark- it'd be easy for somebody to blend into it if they were dressed in black. Blue? No… too patriotic. White? Too boring. Red?… Hmm; that could work.

"One hundred percent. That's why we're painting." He responded with a grin. "What colour were you thinking of? I was thinking something neutral, maybe beige…"

"Red." Natasha replied, kicking off her shoes; it wasn't even dark out, but she couldn't be bothered to wear them anymore.

Steve paused. "Or red. Red could work." He agreed. "We talking bright red or maroon?"

Natasha considered that question, stepping around the room thoughtfully. "Blood red… wait, that's too gruesome. Bright red works."

Steve stood beside her, nodding along. "Yeah, that's great. We can head to the store and look at paint samples, if you'd like." He offered.

"Sure, we can head out… tomorrow?" She suggested with a smile. "Right now, I'm thinking… homemade pizza. You can't mess that up at all."

He stuck out his tongue childishly before smiling back with a chuckle. "Alright, sounds good. We're making it together, right?"

Natasha nodded. "All you'll have to do is put the toppings on." She clarified before sliding right up to him. "What did you want on it? I'm thinking something hot."

"Sausage and pepperoni sounds amazing right now." He said hungrily.

She pressed closer to him. "I'm thinking _hotter._ "

He blushed a little as her meaning apparently reached him. "Oh… um…"

With swift fingers she opened his recently-put-on shirt, leaning up against him and whispering into his ear. "Do you think you could wait a little longer for the pizza?"

"I- I suppose I could…" He replied, shrugging out of the shirt.

* * *

Bucky ran a hand through his hair as he focused on the puzzle in front of him. He normally didn't spend his time on something as tedious as a puzzle, but the day was going by so very slowly and he needed to keep himself occupied. So far he'd gotten most of it complete, but there were several problem pieces that just didn't seem to fit anywhere. He groaned in frustration, contemplating flipping the table.

Hill walked into the room. "Need some help?" She questioned, looking up at him from her phone. Her hair was tied back neatly and she looked like she had just walked out of a meeting.

"Maria? When'd you get here?" He asked in surprise, completely forgetting about his recent annoyance.

She checked her watch. "Not too long ago." She answered, a smile on her face. "I was in the area and thought I'd pop in."

He returned her smile eagerly. "Great!" He exclaimed, standing to greet her as he realised he'd never moved from his chair. "So… what did you want to do, then?" He wasn't always the best at this 'hanging out' thing, especially after the trauma of being the Winter Soldier. His social skills were a bit rusty.

Hill met him mid-way and greeted him with a half-hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I doubt I'd have long," She admitted. "Fury is bound to call me in, so nothing that can't be stopped." She answered.

"Oh, um… Anything you had in mind?" Bucky asked a bit awkwardly, not being able to think of anything.

"I hear there's an amazing shooting range here that I _have_ to test out." Hill commented. "How about we go and check that out? Test our shooting skills?"

That made his heart skip a beat- and not in the corny happy kind of way. The last time he'd used a gun… He shuddered as he remembered the distant screams of agonised family members. Just the thought of _touching_ a gun made his blood run cold with anxiety. What if he lost control? What if he killed more innocent people? "I- I can't," He forced out through his clenched jaw.

Hill took his hand and met his eyes. "Yes, you can. I'll be right there with you- you're in control. Trust me." She slowly pulled him towards the door, her eyes not leaving his.

Her gaze captivated him to a point that he didn't object as she led him to the shooting range. It was comforting, the firmness and determination in her eyes. A tiny bit of optimism sparked in the pit of his stomach. With her there, maybe he _could_ do this. "O-okay."

She turned away from him when they got there and picked up two guns. "Here, you can use the girly gun." She decided, holding out a small *insert gun* for him, leaving herself a rifle.

He wielded it expertly, to his own dismay, and it felt familiar in his hand. It was bound to feel familiar, though, after using guns for such a long time. He shuddered again and willed his thoughts to _not go there, please_. Instead he focused solely on Maria as she took her first shots, all of which hitting the middle of the target with deadly accuracy.

"You're good," He commented despite his suddenly dry throat.

"Weapons training always intrigued me." Hill admitted, placing her gun down and moving to stand right next to him. One hand went to his arm and lifted it so he was pointing the gun at the target. "And pull the trigger." She guided.

Ashamed, Bucky looked away and fired off several shots, knowing without looking that they were all perfect hits. He'd been trained far too well to let loss of vision affect his aim. He lowered the gun and kept his eyes firmly on the wall to his right, hoping his hair would hide his face. The Winter Soldier had just shone through.

"You missed."

 _What_? Impossible! He'd hit his targets every time for years, in even tougher situations than this! His head snapped up and he stared at the human-shaped target board. Sure enough, no bullet holes were to be found in the head or heart, the highest-scoring areas. Instead, there were three bullets in the legs, one in the right shoulder, and one in the left arm. He was shocked for several seconds before he realized- she'd guided his hand expertly to miss the kill shots, the bullets lodged in the less lethal places. "Wha-?"

"I guess you only wounded them." Hill told him, taking the gun and putting it to the side. "Sometimes that's what you need to do."

He nodded numbly, still staring down at her. "I-I… missed." It was so liberating. He hadn't blown the target's brains out, hadn't pierced the nonexistent heart. Just flesh wounds. He _was_ capable of missing, of sparing lives… He felt so _free_ , and he couldn't wholly explain it. "I missed!" He smiled just a little, color returning to his cheeks.

"You are one of a kind, Bucky." Hill pointed out with a smile. "Truly amazing." She added, her hand in his. "What did you want to do now?" She asked, putting the decision into his hands.

"Right now?" He asked, breath just a little faster than normal. His head was spinning a bit but he hadn't felt this way in a long time. "Right now, I want to do this." He ducked his head and pulled her into a kiss- then nearly tripped over as she pulled him towards the wall, locking the door; this reminded him a lot of what had happened at the wedding- not that he was complaining.

* * *

 **Thank you very much!**

 **I am 15 reviews of 200! How about, if you guys get me to two HUNDRED reviews on this chapter, I won't hesitate to post the next chapter! Even if you get me there in three hours (Unless I'm asleep, in that case, you'll have to wait a little longer for me to wake up.) Deal?**

 **The next chapter has some characters that we have yet to see in this story! (I believe... I really write too many stories :P)**

 **Have a fantastic day, evening, night, year!**


	18. Babysitting

**Author's Note:**

 **200 reviews! (Well, 201 right now). You all are amazing! Thank you so much! As a thanks, here's a chapter early (Literally, less than 24 hours since my last posting!) and it's longer than 3000 words which used to be my maximum length! Not anymore!**

 **Those amazing reviewers of my last chapter, thank you so much! This chapter is for you!** **Amy Hamato; Javie-1998; Sportsfan64; Baibe; Moustache1234; TheJollyRoger; LilyRose14; Steelers1; RukiaDeathKuchiki; gwenfrewi72; Qweb; RollinWithCodineAndASwisha; Princess2016; Chocolatelover2001; RomanogerLaucifer; supesfan18!**

* * *

Steve had just gotten through a few rounds on the punching bag when the call had come in, forcing him to cut his session short and go find Natasha. He strolled tiredly through the halls, the cold air clinging to his overheated body and making his sweat-stained shirt more uncomfortable as it turned cold and irritated his skin. He knocked once on their door, and, receiving invitation to enter.

"You know, it's _your_ room, too. You don't have to knock." Natasha pointed out.

Steve shrugged. "It's the polite thing to do- you might have been doing something. Anyway… I guess we have babysitting duty tonight- Clint forced it on us."

"Really?" Natasha asked, her face brightening up. "Give me two minutes and I'll be ready!" She turned around and grabbed a bag, emptying it of a variety of weapons.

Steve was slightly surprised at how genuinely excited she sounded. "Oh. Alright, great! It's at six-thirty, though, so we've got two hours before we need to leave."

"Don't be silly! Let's go early," Natasha replied. She went to a drawer and pulled out a few items, shoving them into her bag. "I'm ready when you are."

"Oh, I need to change really quickly, then." He gestured to his sweaty tank top with a sheepish grin. "Why don't you fire up the quinjet? I'll meet you there in five."

Natasha nodded, a smile on her lips. "I hope he hasn't told them- I love seeing the surprised looks on their faces." She told him as she walked out of the room, possessing no hesitation to leave.

* * *

Steve struggled to keep up with Natasha as she literally bounced to the door, her super-spy training keeping her footsteps completely silent.

"Wait for me, wouldja?" He complained.

Natasha glanced over her shoulder at him, a teasing smile on her lips. "You're a foot taller than me- I shouldn't have to." Despite her words, she did slow down.

He gratefully walked beside her, nudging her a little with his elbow. "Someone's awfully excited." He teased.

"Nate's started walking on his own since I last saw him," Natasha told him as if it explained everything.

Steve couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm; he could easily tell that these kids meant the world to her. "That's gotta be adorable." He agreed. "How old is he now?" He was mostly asking to give her more opportunity to talk about the baby- he decidedly loved the spark in her eyes that appeared when she so much as thought about her friend's children.

"Fourteen months," Natasha answered instantly. "He's got chubby cheeks; all of their children had really chubby cheeks as babies."

Alright, that really did sound adorable. "I can't wait to officially meet him." He said honestly. He liked children- loved them, even- but watching several at once made him a little skeptical. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy spending time with them. And seeing Natasha this happy was totally worth it.

She looked at him. "You haven't met him yet?"

"Nope; haven't found the time to. So this'll be an exciting experience for both of us." He answered.

Natasha smiled. "Yes. And the fun will start when we get there." She reminded him, grabbing his hand and forcing him to walk faster. They would have been there already if Natasha hadn't decided to park three miles away.

They reached the door after a few minutes of pleasant conversation about the beauty of the land surrounding the farmhouse, and Natasha was basically vibrating with excitement. He watched as she snuck up to the door and rang the doorbell.

Laura was the first one to reach the door, offering a wide smile to the pair. "Hello, you two! You're _really_ early!" She didn't sound any less thrilled by their presence, however.

"Wanted to miss any traffic- you know how I hate being late," Natasha replied with a smile before stepping into the house and dropping her bag onto the floor of the first room.

"I can imagine." Laura said kindly, turning to Steve. "Hello, Steve. How have you been?"

Steve couldn't help but smile back at her- the woman was the sweetest person he'd ever met. "I'm great, thanks! And you? I heard you've had a baby since I last saw you." He replied.

She chuckled. "Yes, thank god. Nate was so _heavy_." She led him inside to where Natasha stood, waiting. "I'll go get the kids- they're playing upstairs." She said, climbing the stairs.

"Nate was nearly ten pounds when he was born. Huge baby, but so cute." Natasha informed him.

Clint appeared, checking the time. "What did you do? Teleport here?"

"With the speed at which she was flying, you could call it that." Steve grimaced, remembering the many birds Natasha had flown right into in her haste to arrive.

Clint chuckled. "Miss me that much?" He teased.

"Shut up, Barton." Natasha shot back, but gave him a quick hug nevertheless. "Did you hear about-"

Their conversation was ended abruptly before it had started as Natasha went to stand at the bottom of the stairs and caught Lila, who seemed to have jumped down the entire flight of stairs in her haste to get to her 'Aunt Nat'. "Hey, you!"

Cooper followed his younger sister in tackling the woman, absolutely demanding her attention. "Auntie Nat! Auntie Nat! I lost my last baby tooth! Look!" He cried, prying his jaw open and sticking his tongue through the gap in his teeth.

"That's great- you're a man now!" Natasha replied with just enough eagerness as she pulled him into a hug, too.

"Thanks for coming along, too- Laura was a bit nervous about leaving three children with just one person. Apparently she doesn't believe that Nat can grab and carry three children out if anything goes wrong- she only has two arms," Clint laughed.

"It sure doesn't seem that way sometimes." Steve commented with a laugh.

Clint clasped his back. "Hey, you two, come and greet _uncle_ Steve."

Lila looked over Natasha's shoulder skeptically and just hugged her, not making any movement towards him. "I don't have an uncle Steve." She whispered- too loudly- to Natasha.

Natasha chuckled. "Yes, he's just Steve. A friend of mine and your parents. Go and say hello." Lila shook her head timidly.

Steve put on his nicest smile and approached slowly. "Hi, Lila. I'm Steve. I'm a good friend of Auntie Nat's- we've met before, once." He said kindly.

Cooper perked up and starting jumping excitedly. "I remember! You're Captain America! You stayed with us and chopped firewood!" He exclaimed, running forward and tackling Steve's legs. "This is awesome!"

"I prefer Hawkeye," Lila decided.

Natasha laughed and stood up fully. "And Black Widow."

"Oh, yeah- she's the _best_ superhero."

"Hey! Don't turn my children against me!" Clint responded quickly.

"I like Thor," Laura teased as she descended the stairs with little Nathaniel in her arms. "Say hi to Aunty Nat and Steve, Sweetie." She grabbed his little fist and waved it for him. "Hello!"

"Tassa!" Nathaniel muttered as Natasha literally grabbed him from Laura as soon as he was in arm's reach.

"There's my Nate! Have you been a good boy?" She questioned, tickling his sides before bending down and whispering into Lila's ear.

Lila nodded and ran up the stairs quickly.

Steve came to stand slightly behind Natasha to look at Nate's face, resting on her shoulder. "Hi there, big man." He greeted with a big smile. The kid was adorable. "Nice to officially meet you."

Nathaniel poked Steve's face and laughed.

"Yes- he does have a funny face, doesn't he?" Natasha teased. "Coop, go help your sister, please." She quickly said, a smirk on her face.

Clint smirked, too, before walking out of the room with Laura, into- what Steve remembered it as- the kitchen.

Now he was _really_ suspicious, and Natasha's devious smile wasn't helping matters. "What are you planning, spy?" He asked dubiously, narrowing his eyes dramatically.

"You can't talk about a mission in front of a baby," Natasha replied. "Isn't that right, Nate? You can only say a few words, but when you start talking, you'll be dangerous with secrets."

"Tassa!" Nathaniel replied, kissing Nat's cheek.

"That's right, I'm Auntie Tasha." She replied, kissing him back on the cheek.

"This kid really adores you." Steve commented, running a finger over the child's chubby cheek softly. "I think I'm getting jealous." He joked.

Natasha kissed Nate again. "He's just so much _cuter_."

"Ready!" Lila announced, holding a large cushion and standing at the top of the stairs with Cooper, who was holding a cushion as well.

"Babysitting job number one: make sure neither of them gets hurt." Natasha informed him. Then, without warning, Lila sat on the oversized cushion and began sliding down the stairs- where there were at least ten different ways she could crack her head open. "Good luck." Natasha said as she walked off.

"What the-!" Steve dove and caught Lila before she hit the bottom step, bruising his ribs on said step in the process. "Gah! Why would you _do_ that?" He cried, standing back up with the girl and cushion still in his arms.

Lila giggled. "Because it's _fun_!" She announced, smiling at him. "Be careful, Cooper will run straight into us." She warned as it was Cooper's turn to come flying down the stairs.

Steve quickly set her down and nudged her out of the way before catching an armful of little boy. Since he'd been prepared that time, the impact was less jarring. "You kids are insane!" He exclaimed breathlessly.

Cooper grinned cheekily as he was set down. "I prefer 'awesomely fun'."

Lila nodded. "Come on! I'll show you what else we do for fun!" She declared, grabbing his hand and pulling him from the room.

Surprised and a bit cautious, Steve allowed himself to be grudgingly guided. "I have _such_ a bad feeling about this." He groaned.

* * *

Natasha slipped first into Cooper's room, then into Lila's room, making sure they were asleep and covered properly. She wasn't expecting Clint or Laura to be back until morning, and it had just occurred to her that Steve might not have known that. As she switched off Lila's light, she sighed contently. "Sweet dreams."

With one last glance into Cooper's room, she silently made her way back down the stairs and into the lounge where Steve was currently keeping an eye on Nate.

"The kids asleep?" Steve asked as she entered the room.

Natasha nodded. "Yes. They're both out."

He dipped his head and gestured to the lethargic child in his arms. "He's very good at staring contests." He commented fondly, adjusting the little boy to sit more comfortably.

"They all are," Natasha replied as she sat on the couch beside him. "Their father is a trained spy."

"It's still unnerving," Steve said lightly, looking up from Nate to smile at her. "So what are we going to do now?"

"We need to feed this little ray of sunshine and then we can put him to bed. Then… we can head to bed- or you can sleep on the couch and I'll take the bed." She amended at his wide-eyed expression at the prospect of sharing a bed- still, it wasn't like they hadn't before.

"Alright, sounds like a plan." He agreed, clearly to the second option, before passing the boy to his aunt. "You can feed him, right?"

Natasha took the young boy. "Did you want Stevie to feed you?" She asked. Nate clapped his hands. "I think he'd like you to feed him." She stated, handing him back.

Steve's eyes widened in surprise as he took the child. "Wait- I don't know how!" He exclaimed.

"It's not that hard." Natasha told him, standing up and retrieving the pre-prepared homemade baby food and a spoon before walking back to him. "Put the food on the spoon and put the spoon in his mouth. Repeat."

Steve still looked unsure but took the supplies anyway. "That's it? There isn't some catch?" He asked suspiciously.

"He's a good eater- it's just as simple as putting the spoon into his mouth," Natasha answered, leaning back against the couch to watch him.

"Yumyum!" Nate exclaimed, trying to grab the food from Steve's hands.

Steve rolled his eyes and began the process of feeding the boy. He almost recoiled, if the sudden tensing of his muscles was anything to go by, when Nate managed to spill some of the mush on the man's hand. Natasha struggled to hold back the laugh she felt bubbling up inside. "You're doing great- keep going."

"You, little boy, are the messiest eater I have ever seen." Steve playfully said to the boy, who couldn't care less. "Where are your gentlemanly manners?"

"He's _Clint's_ son, and Clint is no gentleman- in fact, Clint is a messier eater than Nate. Isn't that right?"

"Yeah!" Nate agreed, managing to grab the bowl of food from Steve and attempting to pour it into his mouth- which then ended up all over the toddler.

"Oh come _on_!" Steve exclaimed, running to grab a fistful of napkins. "This is getting ridiculous." He passed half of the napkins to Natasha and started wiping the toddler clean.

Natasha rolled her eyes as she dropped the napkins off to the the side and took the young boy. "What did you do? You got all messy." She spoke calmly, standing up. "The food is supposed to go _into_ your mouth." She was not at all bothered by Nate holding onto her and getting her all dirty. "Steve, if you wanted to clean up, you can use the Clint's and Laura's bathroom and I'll use the kids' bathroom to clean up Nate." She suggested. It was obvious Steve had never been around children- he was actually pretty useless at it.

He frowned a little, seeming to realise the same thing, before he conceded and left the room. "I'll help with tucking him in!" He called over his shoulder.

"Don't wake the kids," She quickly and softly called back before turning her attention to Nate. "What are we going to do with him? Eh? Doesn't he know how messy kids are?" She shook her head lightly as she went up the stairs. "Do you want a bath? Yeah? Let's get you in the bath- I have a great onesie made especially for you!"

"I can still hear you, y'know." Steve commented from the next room.

"Oh, I know." Natasha grinned before grabbing the onesie and a diaper and going into the bathroom.

* * *

Steve left the bathroom hurriedly after he'd gotten cleaned up; he felt nearly useless with these children in comparison to Natasha, to the point that it was embarrassing to be in the same room. He sighed and collected himself as he moved down the hallway in search of the super spy and the baby she was so in love with. "Natasha?" He called quietly to avoid waking the children who were already asleep.

Natasha was in Clint's bed with Nate beside her, both sleeping.

Steve smiled at how adorable the sight was and tiptoed in to get a better look. When he found that she was, indeed, snuggling the baby peacefully, he pulled out his phone and- after several seconds of figuring out the device- switched on the camera feature.

"If you take that picture, I'll kill you." Natasha muttered, her voice almost a whisper as she opened one eye to look at him before pushing herself up- Nate stayed as he was, peacefully sleeping, not even noticing Natasha move away from him.

Steve raised his arms in surprised surrender. "Alright, alright, I'm putting the camera away. See?" He made a show of putting the phone in his pocket.

Natasha sat up properly and leant against the backboard of the bed. "You look nice and clean." She commented, indicating for him to enter the room.

"Um… thanks?" He said awkwardly, approaching the bed and gazing down at Nate's sleeping face. The little guy was so cute! "Looks like making messes really tuckered him out."

"I think it might have been splashing about during his bath," Natasha countered with a smile. "You can sit down on the bed- it won't gobble you up."

Steve smiled back and sat down beside her, taking a moment to get comfortable. "No, but I was afraid _you_ would." He teased.

Natasha opened her mouth and shut it quickly, miming eating him. "Mmm, delicious."

Steve stared at her for a second before bursting into muffled laughter. "That sounded _so_ wrong!" He cried, trying to keep his volume down to allow Nate to continue sleeping. "That was creepy!"

She glanced at Nate before swiftly jumping onto Steve's lap and very lightly biting his neck and licking it. "Very nice." She joked.

He gulped and blushed before lightly pulling away. "Natasha, there is literally a baby on this bed with us. You will refrain from sexual advances." He chided sternly. Then he continued laughing at Natasha's 'eating him'. It was golden!

"He's asleep… besides, where do you think babies come from?" Natasha muttered in a muffled voice, not removing her lips from his neck.

"Natasha, this shouldn't even be an argument- there is a _baby_ not _two feet_ from us, on the same surface as us. Not happening." Steve exclaimed in frustration, pulling away more assertively.

"What if I put him in his cot?" Natasha questioned as she looked at him, her eyes searching.

He spluttered incredulously. "This is your _best friend's bed_!"

" _He_ has sex on it- why can't we?" Natasha questioned.

"It is _his_ bed! Don't you think he'd hate us? I know _I_ would hate us!"

Natasha furrowed her brow at him. "It's just sex, Steve. It's a completely natural activity for two consenting adults." She informed him before sliding off of his lap.

"Yes, natural when we're at home. Not in someone else's while we're babysitting their children- _one of which is literally lying against your leg_."

"I said I'd move him. But fine, I can wait until we're back at the base," Natasha shrugged like it wasn't a big deal and laid down. "Can you manage to nap on Clint's bed, or is that not allowed either?"

Steve sighed. "I can manage that, Natasha. Scoot over a little." He was too tired to deal with any more arguments for the night.

Natasha shifted over, giving him enough room.

He got comfortable beside her with little Nate somehow migrating to the slight space between them, sleeping like a rock. "There we go. Does he stay with us, or does he _have_ to sleep in his bed?" He asked, gesturing to the child who had a lock of Natasha's hair clenched in a chubby fist.

"Just go to sleep, Steve. I need some baby snuggles," Natasha replied, her eyes already closed as she rested one hand on the sleeping baby.

Steve sighed and and followed suit, one hand resting on the boy's little chest. He closed his eyes, pleased to find that it was very easy for him to drift off to sleep.

* * *

Clint walked through the door and held it open for Laura before closing it securely and slipping off his coat. He glanced around the ground floor- making sure it was secure- before heading up the stairs with Laura right on his tail. His hand slipped behind his back and took Laura's, interlacing their fingers.

As he got to the top of the stairs, he turned and captured her lips; it was important for them to spend quality time together without the children around- thankfully, it always proved how much they were in love. They then split up, and he entered Cooper's room and pulled the covers up to the boy's shoulders before kissing his forehead. He knew Cooper would be awake first in a little over two hours, but right now he was sleeping peacefully.

Clint walked out of the room, past Laura and into Lila's room. He repeated the same movements, making sure she was covered and kissing her forehead- although he did sneak a cuddly bear into her arms before exiting her room. He glanced into Nate's room and frowned- it was empty. Why didn't Natasha ever put him in his cot? He rolled his eyes but diverted Laura to their bedroom- it was a second before he realised that he hadn't encountered Steve. Nat better not have done anything inappropriate on his bed.

He entered his bedroom after Laura and stopped. There, snuggled in his bed, were Steve, Natasha and Nathaniel. "I thought you didn't snuggle," He teased and then dodged the alarm clock thrown at his head.

"This is not snuggling." Natasha replied, glaring at him.

"I think you need a dictionary- that is _definitely_ snuggling." Clint laughed, but then his eyes widened as he noticed what Nate was wearing. "'Aunt Nat is my fav hero.'" He read aloud, his eyes narrowing. "This is war."

"Bring it on, Arrows!"

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! You are all amazing! Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was written agggeeessss ago, but now it's posted! :D**


	19. Bucky's lovelife

**Author's Note:**

 **In comparison to the last few chapters, here's a smaller chapter.**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed my last chapter, which you all agreed was cute:** **TheJollyRoger; Moustache1234; Chocolatelover2001; Javie-1998; DENM; Baibe; Princess2016; RollinWithCodineAndASwisha; LilyRose14; Jhessill; RomanogerLaucifer; supesfan18!**

* * *

Bucky groaned as Hill instructed him through yet another pose. How was the woman so flexible? And how could she expect him to be so also? "I don't think my skeleton can handle any more extreme yoga." He complained.

Hill brought her arms around him, to help him stay in the pose. "It's just normal yoga, if you wanted, I could show you some _extreme_ yoga, later?" She offered, whispering it into his ear.

He flipped over and pinned her down playfully. "Why not now?" He asked with a smirk.

She grinned up at him. "Hmm, I don't think you deserve it right now." She teased.

He chuckled, leaning in closer. "I think I can prove my worthiness," He whispered seductively, capturing her lips with his own.

"Hey, guys, I was just wonder- _woah_!" Sam paused in the doorway, downright staring at them. "I- I'll just _go_ now…"

Hill looked up at him seriously, after pulling away, "And that is why locks were invented." she pointed out, before pulling his lips back down to his.

* * *

Bucky watched as Hill pulled on her clothes. Her 'short visit' actually lasted 52 hours, and they'd been able to squeeze a lot into that time.

"You have to leave soon, don't you?" He asked sadly.

"I told you, I'm always on call, and Fury needs me to head in," Hill replied professionally, buttoning up her shirt.

"Oh. Don't you get vacation days?"

She shook her head, "Villains don't take vacation days and neither do I. I could take off days where I'm only called in for emergencies."

Bucky smiled. "Good! Do that. Or you could just play hooky and stay with me…" He trailed off, waggling his eyebrows exaggeratedly.

Hill smiled, leaning onto the bed and kissing him. "I wish I could do that. Maybe next time." She pulled away from him. "You could just come with me, you know; hide in my quarters so I could have my way with you whenever I'm free."

"That sounds slightly creepy… 'have your way with me whenever you're free'... Are you gonna kidnap me?" He teased, sitting up and pulling on a shirt.

"I'm considering it." Hill replied with a small smile before slipping on her shoes. "But if you ever wanted to come with me, you could. We have similar facilities to these on the helicarrier and you'll be a great asset."

Bucky paused and turned to look at her, slightly disbelieving. "Just like that? Suddenly S.H.I.E.L.D. wants me? Why? Winter Soldier, remember?"

"James Buchanan Barnes is a hero in most people's eyes- they are all completely ready to forgive you. You don't have to worry; if you don't go start killing everybody there, they won't mind." Hill informed him as she finished getting dressed and turned to face him.

"What about the people I've killed? Their families? There are a lot of people that will never forgive me. I'm not sure I like the idea." Just the thought of leaving the base he'd finally gotten used to gave him fierce anxiety; also, he didn't want to leave Steve behind- he owed it to him to stay. And wasn't he still 'grounded', anyway?

Hill shrugged. "But you are worth being forgiven. Anyway, you think about it and I'll run it past Fury anyway. You don't have to make a decision now." She replied.

He sighed and nodded. "Alright, I'll think on it." He acquiesced reluctantly.

"Walk me to the hangar? After you get some pants on, that is."

Ah, he knew he'd forgotten something. "Sure thing, Beautiful." He said with a wink.

* * *

Steve lugged the last of the paint cans into the bedroom, where all of the furniture was covered to protect it from the mess that was sure to ensue. They had chosen an eye-catching bright red that actually matched the carpet nicely and brought out the colour of the cheap curtains.

He plopped the can on the ground next to where Natasha was sitting, sorting through a variety of painting supplies. "That's the last one. Ready to start?" He had on his trashiest sweats that he didn't need to worry about ruining. "Also, let's pop a window open so the paint fumes don't get us high or something."

"Sounds good," Natasha replied as she poured the paint into the rolling tray and picked up the roller. "Have you painted before?"

"Eh, maybe once- my skills are a bit rusty." He responded, opening the window to let in a pleasant breeze. "You?"

She nodded. "Clint is constantly redecorating his house, so I'm always blackmailed into helping him out."

Steve laughed and grabbed another roller brush, coating it liberally with red paint. "Well, let's get to it, then." He began with a patch beside the open window.

Natasha took the other side of the window and began rolling the paint onto the wall. "I know you said you didn't want to hear about it, but… did you see Hill and Bucky yesterday?"

Steve brushed past the initial awkwardness that swept through him at the thought before playing through his memories of the day before. "Um… no, I didn't, actually. Did I miss much?" _Do I really want to know?_

"At first it seemed like she was interrogating him, although, as time passed, they just got closer." Natasha informed him. "She offered for him to head out to a different secure base with S.H.I.E.L.D. I think you might need to talk to him. Hill is great, but… they're going a bit fast."

Steve nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's _way_ too fast." He said, reapplying some paint to a thin patch. Somehow the liquid had ended up all over his forearms and his pant legs, yet he hadn't done anything that could have logically caused it.

She turned around and got more paint. "I think you've missed a spot." She teased, a smirk on her face. "Let me help." She rolled the brush over his face and chest.

Steve gasped before spitting out a wad of paint. He cleared it from his eyes before levelling her with an evil glare. "Oh, this means _war_." He announced, dipping his brush in fresh paint before coating her back in it when she tried to turn away.

Natasha let out a laugh, brushing the paint over his arms. "I think we've missed the walls."

"The whats? I think the paint is exactly where it's supposed to be, actually." Steve joked, taking a smaller paintbrush and painting her forehead a bright red. "Hey, look, it matches your hair!"

Natasha playfully glared at him. "I _will_ get my revenge." She announced before picking up the half-full can, pulling the waistband of his pants and tipping it down them.

Steve let out a yelp as the cold, thick liquid filled his trashy sweatpants. Then he shivered. Then he smiled stiffly and evilly at her. "You little…!" He grabbed a full paint can, used his super strength to pry it open aggressively, then made like he was going to splash it on her front. When she tried to dodge, he changed trajectories and dumped the entire can on her head. "Revenge is so sweet." He smirked, shaking some of the loose paint from his ankles that had trickled down his legs.

She took off the can of paint. "It's a good thing I love you; otherwise the red covering the floor would be your blood by now."

Steve laughed genuinely and wiped some of the paint from her face. "I love you, too," He said playfully, planting a kiss on her very red lips.

"Yuck." Natasha muttered, pulling back. "You taste of paint… and so do I. Disgusting." she pulled a face.

He laughed again, pulling her into a very sticky hug, smearing more of the paint on his already-ruined shirt. "Sorry. I guess hugging'll have to do."

Natasha wiggled into his embrace. "I believe a shower would be more productive- but we should finish painting first… if we have enough paint left, that is."

"I suppose you're right," Steve conceded, picking up his roller brush again. "Oh, yeah, I'll definitely have to pick some more up." He commented, looking into the several empty cans.

"We could always just paint one wall- that's what people do, right? Paint one wall and call it a 'feature wall'." Natasha suggested, picking up her brush and continuing from where she left off.

"I guess, yeah." He said, visualising it for a moment before deciding that it would definitely work. "Yeah, that's a great idea!"

She nodded. "Then you can talk to Bucky and convince him that he should stay here and not go with Hill."

Steve looked at her and nodded; he was never very good at convincing Bucky to not follow women- he always managed to get a date. The only difference now was that he didn't need to convince her to bring somebody with her so they could double date. Although he did realise that he hadn't spoken to Bucky about Maria Hill, and he actually felt bad. He realised that he had let Natasha be his whole life and wondered if Bucky felt neglected; he hoped not, because that was the last thing he wanted.

* * *

Steve strolled into Bucky's room without knocking, as the door had, for some reason, been left open. "Bucky?" He called, unsure. As he walked into Bucky's bedroom, he finally found his missing friend- ironing a shirt. "Since when do you have an iron?" He asked. Since when did anyone iron shirts anymore in the first place?

Bucky smiled at him. "Old habits, I suppose." He responded, resting the iron on the ironing table and picking up his shirt to hang. "Do you still iron your shirts?"

Steve shrugged. "Sometimes- not too much anymore." He admitted. "Listen, I came to talk to you- you busy?"

"I'm never too busy for you, Stevie." He unplugged the iron and crossed over to him. "What's going on?"

"It's about you and Maria Hill," Steve began carefully. "I heard you two have gotten… close."

Bucky had a goofy grin on his face. "Maria- yeah, she's great. Sorry I haven't spoken to you about her yet- was a bit busy." He winked. "If you know what I mean. Also, you were with Natasha." He added.

Steve was still trying to wash the 'busy' image from his mind. "Dude, I don't want to know what you two are up to in private- just so we're crystal clear on that. I just meant that, well… you need to be careful. She's a government agent, and, up until recently, you were one of their most wanted." He advised before realizing how that sounded. "Not that Maria would betray you or anything like that! She's a great lady, and I'm sure she's perfect for you, I just mean that it's risky, since she's so close to several people who probably… _aren't_ your biggest fans."

"Stevie, you worry too much. Besides, what's life without a little risk?" Bucky asked with a chuckle, crossing his room and hanging his shirt and other clothes up neatly. "Maria's great, and I trust her enough to not bring a dozen agents here to arrest or beat me."

"And that's good- she's very trustworthy. But I also don't think you should leave with her, Bucky. We've got a good thing going here, and you're technically still grounded, and if you went with her, you'd be surrounded by strangers as opposed to all of the friends you've got here." Steve responded, not liking to dampen his friend's good spirits- he seemed genuinely happy, and he hated to put any strain on that.

Bucky laughed, a full, whole-hearted laugh. "I suspected there were cameras in here. As you probably know, I wasn't dressed when she offered for me to go with her- I don't think it was serious." He rolled his eyes slightly, walking over to him. "And we're the same age- stop treating me like your child, otherwise I might have to rebel; what do they do in this decade do to rebel? Get a tattoo, right?"

Steve had to laugh at that. "More like tattoo _s_. Plural. And at least ten piercings." He corrected with a grin. "Well, glad we're on the same page, at least."

"We should go dancing, you and Nat and me and Maria. Like the good old days!" Bucky suggested, throwing an arm around Steve's shoulders. "Whaddaya say?"

Steve reciprocated the action with another laugh. "Sounds like a plan, Buck!" He replied. "If I can convince Nat to dance with me in public again, that is."

Bucky chuckled again. "Can't be too difficult. Are you free now? Willing to spend some quality time with me? Or do you need your girlfriend's permission?" He teased.

Steve clocked him upside the head playfully. "Is that even a question?"

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **I suppose this chapter was aimed at you Bucky/Hill lovers :D**


	20. The Tornado

**Author's Note:**

 **Mother's Day is just coming to an end, here in England. So, happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers out there!**

 **When somebody tells me that my chapters/story has made them happy, or helped to improve their day; it means so much to me. That is all I want to do, I love making people happy!**

 **Thank you so much to the wonderful reviewers of my last chapter!: Sportsfan64; Javie-1998;** **TheJollyRoger; Amy Hamato; Moustache1234; RomanogerLaucifer;** **grossly-sweet; Princess2016; IndianSweetGirl; Qweb; RocketRaccoon15.**

 **Wow! This is a long chapter! :O**

* * *

Steve was just getting ready for some afternoon running when the call came in. He'd been pulling on his shoes and the phone had started ringing, almost startling him. He read the caller ID and picked it up.

"What is it, Stark?"

" _Ah, Cap! Glad you're available!"_ Tony cried immediately, not letting Steve get a word in edgewise. " _I'm currently in Kansas City, Missouri, where there was recently a F5 tornado. The damage is really bad. I need all available recruits to help aid survivors. Got it?"_

Steve was in stunned silence for a moment before snapping back into focus. "Got it."

" _Thanks. ASAP, Cap."_ And with that, Tony was gone.

Steve barely waited four seconds before dialing Natasha's cell.

" _Romanoff."_ She answered immediately.

"Nat! Stark needs all recruits on their way to Kansas City, Missouri. F5 tornado." He informed her succinctly.

"Why couldn't you just come and tell me?" Natasha questioned, ending the call as she walked into the room. She was in her running gear, but it was obvious she had already been for her run. "Did you say F5 tornado?" She asked for clarification, typing something on her phone.

"Yeah," He answered. "He said the damage was significant, and he needs help offering disaster relief. Can you inform the recruits?"

Natasha dropped her phone onto the bed. "Just texted them to meet up at the quinjet in ten minutes for an urgent mission. You might want to change." She said, grabbing her go bag and unzipping it.

She'd read his mind, actually- he'd been about to ask if she'd join him on the mission. He wasn't going to ignore a call for backup, even if it wasn't aimed at him. "On it." He was changed in less than a minute, his own bag thrown over his shoulder. "Be sure to bring some heavy-duty boots and gloves; there's bound to be broken glass and other sharp objects amongst the debris." He advised, trading in his gym shoes for his combat boots.

Natasha sent him an over-the-shoulder glare before she bent back down and laced up her combat boots, which were already on. "This isn't my first tornado; I know what to expect. Have you ever helped out after a natural disaster?" She questioned, turning around to face him.

"Two earthquakes and a hurricane." He replied, grabbing an extra flashlight and making a mental note to grab _lots_ of batteries. He finally turned back to Nat. "Ready to go?"

She nodded. "Yes. Remember to keep an eye on the recruits- we don't want them getting injured or looking lost, themselves." She recommended, slipping on a small rucksack.

He dipped his head in agreement and led the way to the hangar.

* * *

Kansas City was a mess. Buildings were ravaged, their decaying bodies littering the streets, pieces of various materials jutted out from massive piles of rubble, and a fine layer of dust and dirt filled the open air. Thousands of people were wandering, stumbling through the wreckage in panic and confusion, trying to locate loved ones and lost items. The noise was almost overwhelming as people shouted for each other or for their pets, as people cried over their losses and children screamed, traumatized. And yet, underneath it all was a heavy silence that came with the numb shock everyone shared.

Steve and Sam were aiding in search and rescue, as were Natasha and Wanda, who were working on the next street. Tony, Rhodey and Vision were patrolling the skies in a broader search for anyone needing assistance, while Bucky took care of the panic-stricken crowd gathering near the ambulances.

Steve stepped around a downed power line cautiously and approached a dilapidated house that had been nearly split in two and was missing its entire roof. He signalled to Sam, telling him to go around back while he took the front.

"Is anyone here? Anyone in need of help?" He called as loudly as he could. He was met with silence for several seconds before a weak voice rasped its reply.

"Y-yes! Please! Oh please, is someone there? Help!" It was a woman, and she was calling out from a basement window just below the wall to the right of the front door. The glass was gone and she was reaching dirtied hands through the small opening. "My daughter- she's pregnant, and a piece of the ceiling fell on her head, and I can't wake her up! The door jammed up a few hours ago, and I can't get it open! Please help!" She begged.

Steve hurried over to her and surveyed what damage he could see in the dark basement behind her. "Is it just you and your daughter, Ma'am?" He asked, heart aching for the poor woman.

"Yes, my son-in-law went out to find help hours ago, before the door got stuck. Can you help us?" She asked, arms shaking. He grabbed her hand reassuringly.

"Yes I can. Hang tight, alright? I just need to talk to my partner." She nodded weakly and reluctantly relinquished his hand. He stood and sprinted behind the house, where Sam was checking through all the broken windows for signs of life. "We've got two trapped in the basement- one's pregnant and unconscious. I need to keep the mother calm- I think could smell a gas leak down there, and if she hyperventilates- anyway, you need to bust down the door without knocking the house down. The structure is extremely unsteady, so that's going to be tricky, but I think you can do it. Got it?" Sam's eyes widened and he nodded with determination.

Steve raced back to the front and crouched by the window, alarmed when the woman wasn't there. "Ma'am? Are you alright?" He called. She came back to the window, twisting her greying hair anxiously.

"Yes, I think so- my-my head…" She trailed off dizzily. So the leak must have happened only recently, if the effects were showing up all of a sudden; it was worrying to Steve, who was concerned about what sort of gas the women were breathing in- if it was carbon monoxide, they could be in deep trouble.

"Don't worry, Ma'am, my partner is working on the door as we speak. Just stay awake and alert. What's your name?" Her eyelids fluttered just slightly and she rubbed them before moving to lean against the wall.

"Agnes." She replied, voice quivering. She was clearly losing hope, panic and anxiety replacing it. He needed to do something to offer solid reassurance so she'd stay calm until they could get access to the basement.

He offered his most reassuring smile and reached through the tiny opening for her hand, grasping it gently. "I'm Steve, Agnes. You might know me as Captain America." Her eyes lit up slightly in recognition and her mouth hung open.

"You-you're-?" She stuttered. He nodded, taking his shield from his back and showing it to her.

"Yes I am. And I promise, on my life, that me and my partner- another Avenger- are going to do everything we possibly can to get you and your daughter to safety." He swore, giving her hand a squeeze. She smiled weakly as tears welled up in her eyes.

"And my little grandson, too? Is he going to be okay?" Agnes asked rather pitifully, casting a glance at a pregnant form lying on the ground behind her. Steve didn't know how to respond at first.

"I can't guarantee anything until your daughter's been checked over- but we will do everything in our power to get them both medical assistance as soon as possible." He settled on the more honest option; he didn't want to get her hopes up too much with false promises.

She gulped and looked down, but didn't ask anything more, just breathing shakily.

"What's his name going to be? Have they decided yet?" He asked brightly, trying to keep her optimistic. She opened her heavy eyelids and looked up at him with adoration in her eyes.

"Nathan. Nathan Donovan Shmidt." There was a tiny wistful smile as she spoke of her grandchild-to-come. "She's due in a few weeks, but earliness has always been a trait in my side of the family-" She cut off with a shriek when the door came unhinged and slid down the stairs loudly.

"Is everyone alright?" Sam called as he sailed down the stairs.

Steve jumped up and ran through the house to join him in the basement. First he went to Agnes, who was sobbing with relief, and guided her to the staircase before joining Sam at the daughter's side. She was very heavily pregnant and very young, he noted sadly. Her petite features were marred by trails of blood originating from her hairline, her pulse was thready and her breathing was shallow. Without a second to waste, he hefted her into his arms and sprinted back up the stairs with Sam following close behind.

"Come on, Agnes, we're getting you both to Medical." He called to the girl's mother, leading the way as quickly as he could. Agnes almost passed out at one point, making Sam reach over and pick her up, carrying her the rest of the way.

As soon as they arrived at the relief center, he called for a doctor; a blonde man ran over to them and did an initial checkover as a few EMTs settled the two women on stretchers, wheeling them away to be cared for. As she was being taken, Agnes reached out a hand and grabbed Steve's, squeezing it and whispering, "Thank you," before she was gone.

Steve and Sam shared a sigh of relief.

"Alright, we need to get back to work." Steve said after five minutes of resting. He sent Sam back to the neighborhood they'd been searching. Then he went to the ambulance parking area to check in on how the technicians were fairing.

* * *

Natasha stepped over a pretty large tree, which was now laying across a fallen house. She glanced over at Wanda, who was helping out a very distressed women, and wandered in the other direction. A male's voice caught her attention and she ran over to him. "Are you okay, Sir?"

"My wife- she's trapped!" He exclaimed. "I can't get the tree off of her."

"Okay, we'll do it together. Show me." Natasha replied quickly before running with him for a few metres. She instantly noticed the woman, unconscious on the floor- at the very least, her broken arm was obvious. She took hold of the trunk and waited for the husband to, as well. "On three. One, two, three!" She lifted it with all of her might, pulling it to one side- but it was stuck. "Pull her out, quickly!"

Her hands were burning and stinging from her grip and her shoulders felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets from the strain. When the man had finally gotten his wife out, she dropped the trunk onto the floor and jumped over to them. A quick visual scan over the woman revealed blood. "You need to get her to one of the checkpoints. There's one on the outskirts, about half a mile that way."

The man nodded, relieved, picking his wife up. "Thank you." He said sincerely before running off.

As she went to head to check the next half-destroyed house, she heard what sounded like crying. Instantly turning towards the sound, she began heading in that direction. "Hello? Can anybody hear me?"

"Help!" A small cry came. Natasha carefully ran over to it, jumping over the remains of a doghouse and a few broken windows. "The door's stucked!" The voice continued.

She located the door to the basement and started moving the bricks, wood, tree branches and other objects off of it. "Don't worry, I'll get you out." She assured.

"'lease faster! 's dark!"

It took a few minutes, but she managed to clear the rubble and open the door. After seeing how destroyed everything was around him, she was surprised that the young boy appeared unharmed. "Hey, there. Are you okay?" She asked softly.

He instantly began crying and shaking his head. "I wan' Grampa!" He cried, wiping his eyes. Tear tracks cleared little paths through the thick dirt coating his chubby face.

"It's okay. What's your name?"

"T-Thomas." He hiccuped, rubbing his eyes with filthy fists, lower lip wobbling.

"Okay, Thomas. I'm Natasha. Where did you last see your grandpa?" Natasha asked, taking his tiny hand and helping him climb out of the small space he'd been trapped in. She searched around, dreading the young boy's answer.

"In the kitsen, makin' a samwich. An-and he t-told me to stay in the l-living room, but it was windy and loud and I ran d-down here. And then it got louder and there were _booms_ and Grampa yelled and the house ' _sploded_!" He sobbed, wrapping his little arms around her waist and burying his face in her shirt.

Natasha looked sadly at where she presumed the kitchen would have been, trying to work out the statistics of whether or not his grandfather could possibly be alive. It wasn't looking good. She bent down to his level. "Where are your parents?"

Thomas shrugged, trying to hug her again, tears falling down his face. His voice was somewhat muffled even though he managed to speak fairly clearly. "Heav'n, I think. 's what Grampa said."

She finally wrapped her arms around him, picking him up. He rested his head on her shoulder.

"Ca' we find my brother, too? 's at Mike's house." Thomas asked her.

Natasha hoped this was a much older brother as, without parents or his grandfather, Thomas would be put into an orphanage. "What's your brother's name?"

"Matt." Thomas replied with a yawn as his eyes closed.

"Stay awake, Thomas. Where is your brother?" She asked; she wasn't sure if he had hit his head or was injured in a way she didn't know about, and thus couldn't let him go to sleep. With quick steps she headed back towards the checkpoint to get him medical treatment. But she needed to know where to find his brother.

"Wi' Mike."

Natasha adjusted her grip on him as she stepped over a fairly large tree. "And where is Mike? Where does he live?"

Thomas shrugged. "With his parents."

Child logic. "Okay, well, I'll keep an eye out for him. What's your last name?"

"Jackson." He answered. "W-will it come back?"

"Will what come back?" Natasha questioned.

"The evil win'? Will it come back and pun'sh me again?" Thomas asked, wide-eyed, gripping her top tightly. "I-I trie' to be good, I maked good 'cisions, but the win' still got mad!" His breathing picked up slightly and he started whimpering.

Natasha looked down at him. Punish him? "The tornado- that's the evil wind- is over now. Tornadoes happen, Thomas. It's a part of nature, like flowers and trees."

Thomas looked up at her with his big, honey-coloured eyes, "So it's not because I was bad?"

Natasha shook her head, "No, Thomas. This had nothing to do with you. It's just something that happens." Silence fell over them and he started to play absently with her hair.

"Does it get in your face?" He asked, breaking the silence when the checkpoint came into view.

"My hair? Sometimes, but I just flick it out of the way- it usually behaves itself." Natasha answered. Her eyes landed on Steve and she headed to the ambulance he was standing nearest to.

"Nat?" Steve asked in surprise as he turned and saw her. "Who's this?" He gestured to the child in her arms.

Natasha stepped over to him. "This is Thomas. He couldn't find his grandfather or his brother." She told him, glancing down at the boy, who looked half-asleep. "Stay awake, Thomas." She urged. "Are there any doctors free to check him over?"

Steve nodded and ran over to the nearest doctor, who was just finishing up bandaging a woman's leg. He led the doctor back over. "He needs to be looked at," He explained.

The doctor dipped her head in understanding and reached forward to take the boy from Natasha. "Come here, Sweetheart."

Thomas pouted and started crying. "I want my grampa!" He protested, holding onto Natasha with an iron grip.

"Go with the nice lady, Thomas." Natasha urged.

* * *

Steve stepped forward and rested a hand on the boy's small shoulder. "Thomas, she just wants to look at you and make sure the storm didn't hurt you, okay? Her name's Doctor Tammy, and she's very nice." He said soothingly.

Thomas looked at him. "I want to stay with… Na… Ne… Na… _her_." He finished, pointing at Natasha with a pout, still holding on as tightly as he could muster.

Natasha looked at Steve and shrugged. All she'd done was open a door for him- technically. "Natasha." She supplied.

"I wanna stay with Natasha." Thomas repeated.

Steve chewed his lip, clearly unsure as to what to do. "Nat, why don't you stay with him?" He asked. "Do you have the time? I can pick up where you left off, if you need me to."

Natasha's eyes widened at his suggestion; she didn't particularly _want_ to sit on the sidelines, but she also didn't want to just drop the young boy off with somebody random- she would stay until he found somebody he knew. "Can you try and locate his brother, Matt Jackson, or his grandfather?" She pulled a small face to indicate that the latter was probably impossible.

Steve nodded instantly, determination set on his features. "I'm on it." After receiving some rather vague descriptions of where Matt could be from Thomas, he sprinted off in the given direction.

Doctor Tammy stepped back up to the two with a reluctant look. "I know you're scared, Thomas, but if you don't let me take a look at you, I'll have to move on and help someone else; there are lots of people that need my help." She explained. "So can you cooperate for a few minutes? I just want to make sure you're okay."

Thomas looked at Natasha.

"Yes, he can. I'll be right here. When Tammy says you can go, I'll be right here waiting for you. I promise."

Thomas nodded and allowed Tammy to take him- which Natasha was thankful for; it was too busy for any messing around. She followed them and stayed nearby, half listening to the questions and answers, half looking around. It would be a longshot for Steve to find Thomas's brother, and near impossible for him to find his grandfather- alive, that is.

Natasha turned and picked Thomas up when Tammy had finished with him- he was given a clean bill of health- no injuries. Finding out that he was four years old melted her heart; he was too young to have no parents and then potentially lose the only family he had left. But there was nothing she could do about it. She carried him over to the 'lost children' section and was actually shocked at how many children there were. At least seventy- how was it possible that all of these children weren't with a parent? If she had a child, there was no way she'd ever let them be alone at a time like this. Nothing- falling buildings and trees, bullets, HYDRA- would stop her from getting to them.

Thomas tugged her on top, making her look down at him. "Yes, you can go sleep now, if you want." She answered his silent question.

* * *

Natasha huffed as Steve didn't answer his phone, _again_. What was taking him so long? It was starting to get dark, and Tony had already gone home after receiving a call from Pepper. She held Thomas a bit tighter when the social workers continued to take the children away one by one, glaring at any that dared to look at Thomas. He wasn't going anywhere until Steve came back- she didn't want him separated from his brother, if Steve was able to find him.

To her great relief, he soon emerged from the clouds of dust, a small body cradled in his arms. "I need a doctor over here!" He yelled frantically, sprinting to the nearest ambulance. "He stepped on a nail, and I think he's got some broken ribs."

"Matt!" Thomas cried, trying to slip off of Natasha's lap.

"Wait, wait…" Natasha soothed, standing up with him. She had heard Steve's words and saw the doctors running over to them. She quickly made her way over them. "Steve- is he okay?"

" _Matt_!"

The little boy Steve still held coughed weakly and turned to look dazedly at his brother. "Tommy?" He rasped. Then several EMTS were swarming him, blocking both him and Steve momentarily from view.

"Nat, keep Tommy away for a second, please." Steve called over the crowd.

"I'm right here, Matty!" Thomas shouted, trying to wiggle out of Natasha's arms.

Natasha held onto him more securely and stepped back. "Let's give him some space, like how Tammy checked on you. Okay?"

Thomas scowled, teary-eyed, and stared longingly at where his brother was.

"It's alright, Matthew." Steve was comforting from somewhere amidst the bustling technicians. "He gonna be okay?"

"I think so. Let's bandage that foot. Thankfully the ribs are just bruised, but breathing's going to be rough for a while." Someone else said, to which Steve sighed in relief.

"That's good. Alright, Nat, he can come over now."

Natasha put Matt down, kneeling down beside him. "Be careful- he's a little hurt."

Thomas nodded and then took straight off, ducking under somebody's legs and hugging Matt straight away.

"Tommy?" Matt asked again, gently hugging back. While they were busy reuniting, Steve snuck over to stand by Natasha. He was sweaty and covered in dust and debris.

"I'd say this was a job well done." He said with fondness in his voice as they watched the brothers from a small distance.

Natasha looked away from the two; Thomas was with his brother now, and that's all she'd wanted. She ran a hand through Steve's hair, ruffling the dust out of it. "Where did you find him?"

Steve winced a little. "He was trapped under a fallen support column in his friend's basement, and they were afraid of hurting him by trying to move it." He gestured to a man, woman, and little boy approaching the hugging brothers. "Then the poor kid stepped on a nail when I was trying to get him up the stairs. Insisted he could walk on his own. I think he learned his lesson on _that_ the hard way."

She looked out at them again. "They're tough." She commented, turning back to him. "The army turned up about half an hour ago; they're here for three days, without fail, to help, so we're not needed anymore, if you wanted to head home."

He gave her a small sideways grin and nodded. "I'm exhausted." He said as way of agreement. "You ready?"

Natasha nodded. "Yes. Tony and the others headed back about an hour ago." She informed him, forcing herself to not glance back at the two little boys- one in particular- and heading back to the quinjet.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! If you have enough time for a review, I'll highly appreciate it!**

 **Reuniting two brothers, how sweet!**


	21. The pregnancy

**Author's Note:**

 **Thank you to everybody that reviewed, love you! *Sends kisses***

 **Who's seen the newest CW trailer! I am FREAKING OUT! Woah... I... do not have any words to express how I'm feeling right now! I thought that I'd quickly watch the trailer and then post the chapter- and now I can't think of anything coherent to say, or anything. But. Yeah. I'll just give you the chapter! SO EXCITED! *Deep breath***

* * *

Natasha sipped her alcoholic drink- one of the great things about being with Steve was that it was impossible for him to get drunk unless Thor was there with his 'special stuff'. So she didn't have to worry too much about how much she drank, as he would be the designated driver. "Did you want to dance now or later?" She asked Steve, having to speak up over the loud music. There were a lot of people there already, all pretty close to one another.

Steve eyed the dance floor and the undulating crowd covering almost every square inch of it. "Would we even fit over there?" He asked; when she couldn't hear the first time, he had to repeat himself. "I don't even recognise most of these dances." He added.

"Of course we'll fit." Natasha replied, downing the last bit of her drink before standing up and holding out her hand for his. "Come on, it's not that hard."

His hand seemed to automatically wrap around her own and he stood. "Alright, but you might have to be the lead this time." He responded, looking sheepish.

She smirked in response before pulling him through the crowd, into the near middle of the dance floor before turning and facing him. "Just copy what others are doing, Steve." She directed, swaying her hips naturally, keeping him close to her.

Steve looked slightly unsure but nodded anyway, glancing around at the dancing people closest to them. Then he started shuffling his feet a little in time with the beat. He looked up from his feet and there was a question in his eyes. "Am I doing this right?" He called over the music.

Natasha grinned up at him, holding back a laugh. "Yes, you look great." She placed her hands on his hips. "Sway! Shake your hips!"

His cheeks looked a little pink, but he followed her instructions and soon was dancing almost exactly as she was. "This is fun!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, it is." Natasha agreed. Of course she would have preferred staying on base to dance, but Steve insisted they go out. She couldn't really say no every time he asked.

It turned out to be _so_ fun, in fact, that they danced for hours, eventually stumbling into bed an hour before they were supposed to be up for training.

* * *

Steve was awoken in the wee hours of the morning by a painfully full bladder. Sighing, he reached out an arm and awkwardly fumbled for his bedside lamp until he found the correct knob and twisted it, illuminating the bedroom. He groaned and rubbed his eyes as the light burned them for a moment, then sat up- only to pause. He had found the reason for his discomfort- Natasha, lying almost entirely on top of him, her leg digging into his bladder. How was he supposed to get out from under her without waking her and getting shot? If he moved suddenly, she'd most likely wake in a panic. And she was _very_ trigger-happy at three in the morning.

He came up with a new plan.

"Natasha?" He whispered as gently as possible into her ear, moving some of her hair out of the way as if that would somehow improve her ability to hear him. When he received no response besides a reminder from his bladder that he needed to pee, he tried again. "Nat? C'mon, Nat, I gotta pee." He shook her shoulder gently as he spoke.

All that did was cause her to curl into him more, hugging him like a giant teddy bear.

"Nat!" He groaned in exasperation. "Wake _up_!"

The gun was pressed against his neck within a second. "What is it?" She grumbled, not even looking up at him.

He gulped. "You're crushing me and I need to _pee_! Kindly remove your knee from my bladder and let me _go_!"

"You were in the army and you're telling me you can't hold it for three hours? Weak human being." Natasha muttered as she moved her knee from his bladder and then rolled off of him, her gun placed back under the pillow. "Want me to remind you to go to the bathroom before bed?" She teased, smirking up at him.

"Shut up," He retorted, making a dash for the bathroom.

* * *

Natasha took a deep breath as she walked into the building and picked up her water bottle- she would have continued running with Steve if she didn't have training with Wanda. Downing the contents of one of her bottles, she walked into the gym and found Wanda already there. "Hey." She greeted.

"Hey," Wanda replied, sounding more subdued than usual. She was wringing her hands nervously and biting her lip.

"Are you ready for training?" Natasha asked, knowing something was wrong and slowly analysing the younger woman.

Wanda shook her head a little. "Um… No… I- well, I can't participate in training anymore…" She said, blushing a little.

Natasha sat down, sensing this was important. "Give me your reasoning and I'll tell you if it's a good enough reason to be excused from training today."

Wanda shook her head again, sitting beside her. "Not just today… but… for a while." She paused and didn't make eye contact. "Every day… for about seven more months."

Natasha's eyes flickered down to Wanda's stomach. "Congratulations?"

The younger woman's expression melted into a big smile. "Thank you." She said, cheeks still red. "So… am I excused, then?" She joked.

"No." Natasha informed her. "Being pregnant does not get you out of training; you are not incapable of exercise because you're growing a human being inside of you. Has a doctor told you that?" She asked, glancing down at her stomach again- she wondered who the father was. Two months; Wanda had been here for the last two and a half months, so somebody here- Sam, Rhodey, Steve or Bucky would have to be the father. Well, Steve wasn't an option.

"Oh, um… I haven't seen any doctors yet." Wanda admitted sheepishly before noticing the other woman's gaze was on her stomach. "Rhodey." She answered the unspoken question.

Natasha stood up, offering her hand to Wanda. "Then I suppose it's time you do. Let's go and make sure that everything is healthy. I know a great doctor."

Wanda smiled gratefully and took her hand, letting Natasha all but pull her up. "I've been very lethargic lately," she explained.

Natasha nodded understandingly and walked with her out of the room.

* * *

Steve sighed in content and held Natasha closer as they watched the movie. It had been awhile since they'd spent a day doing something so simple, and he loved every second of it. At first they'd been sitting next to each other on the couch, but as the movie had progressed, they'd somehow started snuggling and were now curled up together drowsily, only paying half attention to the woman dancing on screen.

"This is nice," He breathed, exhalation blowing some of her hair into her face. He smiled a little and tucked the strand back behind her ear.

"Shush, this is my favourite part." Natasha told him, patting his knee as her eyes remained fixated on the screen.

He smirked and did as told, softly pressing a kiss to the crown of her head before settling in to actually watch the movie.

They continued on in bliss for another hour before the annoyance appeared.

"Hey guys, I need to borrow Steve for a second," Sam announced, barging in. "I need some advice on that car- it's acting up again, so-"

Steve rolled his eyes, sad that the moment was apparently over.

Natasha's arm was quick to grab the gun from under the cushion- how did that get there?- and point it directly at Sam without even looking away from the screen. "It can wait." She stated.

Sam seemed just as surprised as Steve was, raising his hands placatingly. "Natasha, clutch has gone and I can't fix it alone." He tried to explain.

Natasha literally growled as she turned around to face him. "You are not needed for any mission- therefore, fixing that car is _not_ a priority. Secondly, Rhodey is around here somewhere- maybe he could help. If not, how about calling Tony? He loves technology; might even get an upgrade. But right now, Steve is _busy_. So, if you value your life, you'll be gone in 5… 4…"

"Alright! Alright!" Sam exclaimed, scurrying out the door.

Steve chuckled. "That was a bit extreme, don't you think?" He asked rhetorically, fully glad she'd done that.

She looked at him. "I didn't shoot him, did I?" She asked innocently, a small smile on her lips.

"Touche." He conceded easily, pulling her back into their original snuggling position. "He was being pretty annoying, though, so shooting him would have been understandable."

Her head came to rest on his shoulder, lacing one hand in his. "What do you think about children?"

His heart skipped a beat and his head seemed to fill with fog, making it hard to fully comprehend the meaning behind the words. "You-you're…?" He managed, and at her confused look, laid a hand on her stomach to convey the question his mouth refused to form.

Natasha slapped his hand away. "You're an idiot. I still can't get pregnant. Your serum doesn't transfer through your semen."

Steve blushed fiercely and coughed. "So- uh- what do you mean, then?" His brain still wasn't quite capable of leaps of logic after that shock.

"Nothing. Just thinking out loud, I guess." Natasha replied, her eyes fixed on the screen, even though the credits had just started.

"Children, huh? Well, I love kids." He decided to answer, rewinding the movie to some random point just to give them background noise- he could feel a rather important conversation was imminent.

She gazed up at him with a serious look on her face. "So we're in agreement? We'll kidnap one of Clint's kids and raise them as our own. Which one did you want?" She asked.

He laughed at that for a solid thirty seconds, because just the thought of it was ridiculous. "Nate, definitely. He's too cute to ignore." He played along, wiping tears from his eyes.

Natasha laughed with him gently, but sobered up first. "We could always look into adoption." She suggested.

Steve stopped laughing and blinked owlishly. "You're serious?" He asked, surprised. His thoughts were racing a mile a minute. "You're really, really serious?"

"Nevermind. Stupid idea." Natasha quickly backtracked. "Maybe you should go and help Sam with that car."

"No, no," He insisted, sitting up slightly and making direct eye contact. "I like it. It's a great idea, Nat." He reassured.

She was silent for a while, looking straight into his eyes. "It's an idea for the future… far future. But there's a bunch of checks prospective adoptive parents have to go through. It's not for a _now_ plan… of course…" She drifted off, which was very unlike Natasha.

He cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead. "It's a great idea, Nat." He repeated firmly. "And one I'd definitely like to pursue further in the future."

Natasha rested her head on his chest, failing to hide her smile. "Shush, my favourite part is coming up." She said, redirecting his attention to the movie. He grinned and allowed her to change the subject, not bothering to point out that they'd already watched this scene not ten minutes ago.

* * *

Rhodey sighed and dropped the Wii remote onto the couch cushion with a groan of frustration. He'd repeated this level _four_ times and had yet to beat it! He sneered as the villain who'd defeated him took over the screen and made mocking faces while a little arrow in the corner pointed to the 'retry' button.

There was a soft, hesitant knock on his door.

"Yeah?" He called distractedly, getting ready to try this _one_ more time- if he lost again, he was done.

The door opened, Wanda stepping in and closing it behind her. She paced over to him and sat beside him, remaining completely and utterly silent.

Slightly concerned, he put the remote down again and turned to face her. "What's wrong?" He asked, noting how pale she was.

"Nothing," Wanda replied, pulling a small photograph out of her pocket, holding it out to him. "I'm… officially pregnant."

Rhodey's heart did a triple flip before diving into his stomach and then flying up into his throat. "Pregnant…?" He whispered dazedly, not quite able to comprehend that two-syllable word. "You?" When her only response was to give the picture a little shake, his attention was drawn to it and he slowly took it from her. It was in many shades of black and gray, his eyes immediately drawn to the tiny lump situated in the middle of a dark splotch. "Is that…?" His breath was stolen from his lungs. He _knew_ what this was, but he couldn't seem to acknowledge that he did.

"Our baby?" Wanda supplied. "Yes. I'm eleven weeks." She replied shortly, obviously not having processed this information herself properly.

" _Our_ baby? I'm the father?" He asked, somehow stunned even though he'd known all along. "Wow…" He sat back against the couch cushions with wide eyes. "I'm a father." It wasn't unpleasant to say, he found. It rolled off of his tongue easily.

Wanda looked at him, hesitation evident on her face. "I've been told we need to talk through the options as soon as possible. Uhm… abortion, adoption, keeping it…" She listed.

Rhodey's throat closed a little. Did he… _want_ to give up the baby? He wasn't… he couldn't think it through properly. He was still in shock, he supposed. "W-what do you think we should do?" He asked to buy himself some time to clear the fog from his mind.

She shook her head with a shrug. "I don't know."

Well that was helpful. _Think, Rhodes, think._ But it seemed he'd subconsciously already decided what he wanted to do. "I want to keep it." He blurted, at first not realizing it was _him_ who had spoken. His breath caught in his throat and he looked at Wanda worriedly, wondering what her reaction would be.

Wanda nodded. "Okay. You want to keep the baby." She repeated thoughtfully before adding. "I'm going to get fat."

He found that hilarious for some reason- might have just been his nerves. He laughed at that for a good ten seconds before sobering. "What do you want, Wanda? I'm not going to force you to keep it." He assured, moving a little closer.

"I don't want to terminate the baby- I don't think I'd be able to do that." Wanda admitted, looking back at him. "But I'm not sure if I'd want to keep it... But if I don't keep it, you can have it…" She drifted off, looking down, seemingly ashamed of her own words.

Rhodey looked at her sadly. "Oh, Wanda…" He pulled her into a hug and rested his chin on top of her head, rubbing her back. "I think that you'll make up your mind pretty quickly after the baby's born. You're a very loving person, and I have no doubts that you'd be an excellent mother." He said calmly.

She leant into him, resting her head against his shoulder. "Natasha knows." She informed him randomly.

"What does Natasha _not_ know?" He pointed out with a chuckle.

Wanda shrugged. "She's rubbish at teaching Steve to cook; whenever he offers me food he's cooked, it's just… yuck."

Rhodey laughed and hugged her tighter.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! I'd love a review! If you wanna talk CW or the newest ep of AoS with me- PM me or leave a review with "I wanna talk!" and I'll PM you :D**


	22. Big Smiles

**Author's Note:**

 **Good morning/afternoon/evening/night/dawn! I hope you are all well on this lovely/cloudy/sunny/rainy/snowy/cold/warm/hot/random day/night!**

 **This chapter is for DEMN, who told me that an update from me, is usually the highlight of their day! Thank you, that really made my day! :D**

 **Although, I'd love to dedicate this chapter to all of my wonderful reviewers:**

 **Chocolatelover2001; Princess2016; Javie-1998; Baibe; Amy Hamato; LilyRose14; DEMN; RollinWithCodineAndASwisha; RomanogerLaciifer; Supesfan18; grossly-sweet; and, Moustache1234!**

 **Now, everybody... BIG SMILES!**

* * *

Natasha held the camera, making sure it was straight as she took the picture. "Big smiles." She instructed as she took a few more snaps with a small, nearly-hidden smile on her face.

"Nat… when I suggested we take a few photos to remember this time in our lives… I meant me and you, not me and … Sam." Steve commented, not removing his arms from around Sam's waist.

Sam shrugged nonchalantly. "I think it's fine."

Natasha smirked. "Hold him a bit tighter, Steve- he won't bite."

Sighing, Steve smartly did as Natasha demanded, tightening his grip just the teensiest bit. Sam looked torn between being smugly amused and being thoroughly embarrassed. "Can you just take the picture already?" Steve complained after a few moments.

"Wait- no, don't take it!" Sam exclaimed, looking like he'd just realised something and trying in vain to get out of the shot in time.

Natasha decided it was best to not tell either of them that she had already taken multiple photos. "Sam, pose for the photo." She chastised.

He frowned. "No way! Everyone else already has a girl, and I don't- if anyone sees those pictures, I'll never get a date again!" He cried dramatically.

"Really? You think no girl will want you after being _that_ close to Captain America?"

Steve snorted. "It's not like my super-soldier-ness will rub off on him, Natasha." He commented with a lopsided grin. "Besides, I don't think anything can be done to make _this,_ " he gestured to Sam, "desirable." Sam scowled at him.

Natasha chuckled. "Sam, you can take the photos then- is that better for your masculinity?" She asked. She slipped out the memory card and replaced it with another one- just in case Sam had any ideas about deleting the images.

Sam stalked over and took the camera from her, grumbling a little. "Alright, smile like you're gloating about your love life to your single friend." He instructed somewhat bitterly.

Steve seemed much happier to have her beside him for the pictures, easily adjusting his stance to allow her to fit in comfortably.

Natasha wrapped her arms around Steve, their bodies flush against each other as she looked at Sam and smirked playfully. "How's this?" She teased.

Sam looked both grumpy and uncomfortable but didn't comment, just snapped a few photos. "There." He tossed to camera back to her.

"No. We need a few more." She replied, instantly launching the camera back at him and changing her stance. If possible, she moved closer to Steve, but in a more casual and natural pose, ensuring that she wasn't glaring or looking like she wanted to murder somebody. Although, when Steve held her closer, her smile came out naturally and she could almost sense that he had a massive grin on his face. Her smile widened slightly when Sam sighed before snapping more pictures of them.

* * *

Rhodey flipped open his laptop and went to the video chat program, scrolling through the list of names- why did he even have those? He never called them- until he reached 'Tony S.' He clicked on the contact and waited while it rang.

Tony answered the call, looking slightly disheveled; it was clear from the background that he was in his lab. "Hey, Rhodey, what's up?"

Rhodey internally sighed; Tony was known for the self-destructive habit of getting lost in his projects and forgetting to eat or sleep- sometimes going a whole day between bathroom breaks simply because his work was enough to distract him from bodily needs. He'd hoped that Tony marrying Pepper would give him extra incentive to get out of the lab more, but that didn't seem to be the case. "You busy?" He asked, hoping the man would be willing to take some time away from his precious work.

The older man shook his head. "I have about an hour before dinner with Pepper, so… no." He replied casually, looking at a spanner intently. "Although I do need to grab a new spanner."

Rhodey rolled his eyes. "It's important, Tony." He said seriously. "I need some advice."

Tony put the spanner down and looked at him. "And you're coming to me? Must be serious. What's up?" He asked, repeating his original question.

Rhodey let out a breath, suddenly nervous for some reason. "I… uh… Well, I might have…" He trailed off, trying to figure out how to put this without sounding totally creepy.

"I don't have all day- spit it out!"

"I might have impregnated Wanda!" Rhodey blurted, immediately wanting to jump off a cliff. That was the creepiest way he could _possibly_ have said that! "I mean, uh, Wanda's pregnant."

Tony raised an eyebrow at him. "You knocked somebody up? Have you not heard of protection?" He shook his head in disapproval. "You sure it's yours?"

Rhodey blushed just a tiny bit. "Yeah- she told me it's definitely mine." He informed. "What should I do now?"

"Is she keeping it? Because if she isn't then you don't have to do anything about it." Tony pointed out. "But if she's keeping, then…" He pulled a face. "Say goodbye to your life."

Rhodey glared. "I never realised how bitter you are, _old man_." He spat. " _I_ want her to keep it."

He only received a laugh in response. "Then… buy diapers and ask-" Tony suddenly stopped for a few moments. "Ask somebody who has children about what to do. Or someone who's linked to children in any way."

"Really? That's all you've got for me? I came to you because I thought your old age would bring you wisdom." Rhodey snorted, knowing the conversation was basically over.

Tony sighed. "Rhodey. All you can do right now is buy loads of crap and do whatever she asks. If she wants ice, you get her ice; if she wants chocolate? You get her chocolate, even if that means driving all night. She's pregnant, and you basically gotta be her slave. She is now _never_ wrong. Because she will cry if you disagree with her. Pregnant women are crazy."

Rhodey gulped. "Wow." Was all he could manage. "This should be interesting…" Then he thought of something. "Hang on, you're a married man now- how does that rhyme go? 'First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes…' Hmm… I can't seem to remember…" He said teasingly, a glint in his eye. He snapped his fingers. "Oh, yeah! 'Then comes the baby in the baby carriage! So? When's that happening?"

"Not anytime soon. Although Pepper and I are getting in plenty of practice for when she tells me it's time. She says a few more months and we'll try- apparently, she wants to make sure I'm 'committed'." Tony rolled his eyes.

Rhodey stared; he hadn't been expecting a legitimate answer- and certainly not one like _that!_ "Woah… Congrats, man." He laughed. "Just like Pepper to plan everything to the minute- even pregnancy."

"I don't mind the practicing, though. Not sure I'm looking forward to the diaper part." He shuddered.

Rhodey smirked. "You know what this means, right?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"You're having a kid first so you'll have practice and can babysit for me?" Tony guessed with a cheeky smile.

"Nope." Rhodey replied tauntingly. He paused dramatically for several seconds before providing the answer. "Playdates!" He cried with an equally cheeky smile.

Tony pretended to think. "No." He replied before the screen went blank- Tony had hung up on him.

* * *

Steve entered the kitchen just as Bucky was pulling the phone from his ear. "Who was that?" He asked curiously, plopping into the seat opposite his friend.

Bucky placed his phone down on the table. "Maria." He answered, before correcting himself. "I mean, Agent Hill."

Steve chuckled and grabbed Bucky's beer, taking a sip before handing it back to him. "What were you talking about?" Was his innocent question.

"My inability to reply to texts in a timely fashion." He answered, taking hold of his beer. "I just don't hear it go off! When she calls, it keeps buzzing in my pocket until I answer it." He defended, taking a sip and placing the bottle back down on the table.

"Have you tried turning on the sound?" Steve asked helpfully. Seriously, though, had no one explained the workings of the cell phone to Bucky? Someone must have showed him something, considering he could text and make calls, but why not go the extra step and show him where the volume button was?

Bucky frowned, picking up his phone and glaring at it. "Natasha keeps making me put it on silent during our sessions." There were a few dings as he turned the volume up. "I just keep forgetting to turn it back on. Is there a timer where my phone does it automatically?"

Steve snorted and stole another sip of beer. "Your guess is as good as mine." He replied. "How are things between you two? You and Maria, I mean."

"Good… Great." Bucky replied. "I prefer it when she's here- not… in an undisclosed location." He admitted. "But things are good; we talk a lot."

Steve nodded. "That's good. Have you gone on any official dates yet?" Man, he hoped he hadn't just walked into a description of their 'private time'.

Bucky grinned. "I'm grounded, so all of our 'official dates' were here. Dancing in the gym- don't tell Natasha." He laughed. "Things are different in this time period- you don't need to go on official dates to be in a relationship and committed. It's nice and natural."

"Yeah," Steve agreed. "I'm glad things are going well for you guys."

"How about you and Natasha?" Bucky questioned, taking a few sips of his beer.

"We're great," Steve answered easily. "Been spending some quality time together, thinking of our future… It's great."

Bucky slid the beer over to him. "Your… future? Like marriage?"

Steve sighed a little; not quite sad, more disappointed. "No… I mean, I hope we get married… but we're actually discussing adoption." He admitted.

"That's a big step… but it sounds like you're planning on having children out of wedlock. That's…. Is that normal now? Because it still seems… unconventional to me."

Steve paused. Now that he thought of it… yeah, it was unconventional. Maybe… maybe they should wait to adopt until after marriage? He'd discuss it with Natasha later. "Yeah… What about you and Hill? You two gonna get married?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

Bucky laughed. "Maria and I have only been together for three months." He had a goofy grin on his face as he added, "Maybe someday, though."

Steve nodded and took another sip of the beer- it was almost gone now. "I can picture it- you two are a perfect match." So were he and Natasha, and they'd been together for quite awhile now. When would they get married? How would she react if he proposed? He hoped she would be on board with it, but his more realistic side knew that she didn't take well to surprises.

"Maybe we could do a double wedding." Bucky joked, downing the last gulp of the beer. "I've got to go and meet Sam. See you later, Stevie." He stood up and walked off, leaving his friend with his thoughts. "Hey, Nat."

"Hey, Bucky- see you at training later?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Natasha entered the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out her pre-prepared salad. She then walked to the table, kissed Steve's cheek with a small, "Hello," before sitting in the seat previously occupied by Bucky.

"Hey," he replied smoothly, giving her a small smile. "What've you been up to?"

"Spending time with Wanda and coaching Vision." Natasha replied before she began to eat her food.

"I thought you were training Wanda? Or did you skip that to go shopping or something?" He asked, having noticed her phrasing.

Natasha paused eating as she sighed. "She's worried about training whilst being pregnant, and to be honest, I'm not fond of her using her powers whilst pregnant- who knows what those side-effects would be."

Steve did a double-take. " _Pregnant_? Since when?" He demanded, stunned. That had been the last thing he'd expected.

"Tony's wedding." Natasha answered. "I thought Rhodey told you," she added apologetically, but no apology came.

"Rhodey? _He's_ the father?" This was slightly overwhelming, having to process all this information at once. "They're not even a couple, are they? How'd that happen?"

She stared at him for a few moments before replying. "Sex. Apparently Bucky and Maria weren't the only ones to get physical that night."

Okay, he did _not_ want to think about what Bucky and Maria had done. Instead he focused on the less uncomfortable part of the answer. "They got physical- when? After the wedding?"

"I was the one who was knocked out, meaning most of the wedding is a blur- how come _you're_ the one with the limited knowledge of what occurred?" Natasha questioned as she resumed her meal.

He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I was a bit busy dancing with my girl," he replied, half humorous and half serious. "Were they drunk?" This was giving him a bit of a headache- as one of the main authorities (next to Nat) over the newer Avengers, he was in charge of dealing with most crises involving them; and he felt sure that those two randomly having sex was breaking some sort of protocol, not to mention a sure source of extra drama.

"Most likely." Natasha replied easily. She leant over and took his hand. "Relax, I have it under control. I've taken Wanda to see a doctor and will keep an eye on her." She paused. "But let them tell you on their own; it's a very private matter and they should be the ones to tell you."

Steve released a puff of breath. "They're not even married…" He muttered under his breath, mostly venting to himself. He hadn't realised she'd heard him until it was too late.

"What does being married have to do with having a baby?" Natasha asked, her eyes fixated on his, demanding an answer.

He paused, not sure how to respond without angering her. Still, she clearly wanted his honest answer. "It's not right to have children out of wedlock." He said succinctly, as calmly as he could manage. He could feel the rising tension in the air, the ominous feeling of an impending argument taking over his head and adding extra stress to the situation.

Natasha's eyes narrowed at him. "That is the most idiotic thing that has ever come out of your mouth. There is nothing wrong with having a baby- regardless of the mother's marital status."

Great, things had officially escalated. "It's not idiotic, Natasha. It's just my beliefs- what I've grown up with." He defended.

"Tell me, then- what is so wrong about having a child out of wedlock?" She asked, far too calmly.

He really didn't like how dangerous that sounded, so he decided to tread lightly. He could get into a full-fledged argument over this with her, sure, but that would make things so much worse. "It's… complicated. It's not like I hate them now, or any unwed parents for that matter, but to me it just doesn't seem right. It's just an opinion." He said carefully, leaving out the more controversial details of his beliefs. That was the last thing this situation needed.

Natasha shook her head in disbelief as she stood up. "I can't see how bringing a child into the world is ever 'not right'." She stated, grabbing her salad with force. "I think I'll sleep in my own bed tonight- after all, sex before marriage is also wrong, right?" She asked sarcastically before walking out of the room.

Steve groaned and placed his head in his hands. He couldn't see how this would end pleasantly.

* * *

 **Well... that took a sour turn! *Looks around innocently***

 **Thank you all for reading!**

 **Goodbye/ Ciao/ adiós/ addio/ arrivederci/ au revoir/ bon voyage/ zàijiàn/ See you next time!**


	23. The future

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello! I was planning on posting tomorrow, with the whole 'mid-week' speech, which I'm been mentally preparing.**

 **BUT! TODAY I BOOKED MY CAPTAIN AMERICA CIVIL WAR TICKET! And I got really excited! I'm going for the midnight showing on 29th April! Eeeek!**

 **It's a brilliant time to be British! Who is able to watch it in April like me (Any other Brits around here?) And who's jealous :P Hehe!**

 **I am literally so excited! I sent my sister eleven texts (as I'm going with her) to make sure she was still up for it. Can you tell I'm excited?**

 **Anyway.**

 **HUGE thank you to my reviewers, who are so supportive, kind, and... you all really make my day! When I hear how I've made your day, or helped you to pass the boredom, it fills my heart! Thank you! DEMN; Sportsfan64; TheJollyRoger (good to have you back :)); RomanogerLaucifer; grossly-sweet; Javie-1998; supesfan18 (I'll miss you!); Baibe; Moustache1234; LilyRose14; liliyxxx.**

 **Okay, now, _previously on Learning to Love, there was a small argument between Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers; lets see if they can work things out- or will this be the end of the Soldier and the Spy._**

* * *

Natasha took a deep breath, almost groaning as she made her way to their room- which was probably still officially Steve's room- and knocked. She didn't care that it was two in the morning, she had a question for him.

There was a groan from the other side of the door and some stumbling footsteps before the door swung open to reveal a tired-looking Steve. "Natasha?" He asked, rubbing at one eye.

"If you are so against Rhodey and Wanda having a child out of wedlock; why did you say you were willing to adopt with me?" Natasha asked him, forgoing the greeting.

"What?" Steve asked intelligently. "Oh. Um… Well, we're so close that us being married wouldn't change anything about our relationship- at least in my opinion. Rhodey and Wanda got drunk and had sex without a preexisting relationship, and they don't live together, so it's not a… 'solid' household, I guess you could say." He explained.

Natasha's eyes furrowed together slightly. She wasn't confused about what he was saying, just how they both seemed to be on completely different levels- and how he didn't actually understand her as well as she had presumed. "Steve… I don't have any intention of getting married… ever." She informed him simply. She wondered if she should have told him before entering a relationship with him, but it was too late for that now.

For a moment his expression didn't change; then he bit at his lip a little. "Oh…" He said, an unidentified emotion in his voice. His gaze shifted to the floor behind her. "I see."

"It's nothing to do with you… it's just meaningless to me. I've seen married men cheat, and unmarried men more faithful." Natasha tried explaining, this was still just as hard as when she mentioned it to Clint after he tried setting her up. "A piece of paper won't change anything."

Steve nodded slowly. "I see," he repeated. Then he met her eyes again. "Okay. If that's what you want, I'll respect your wishes." He said firmly, a tiny smile pulling at his mouth. He looked rather hopefully at her.

Natasha looked away from him, examining the wall to his left, the paint job was awful- that was probably her fault. "I'm sorry." She muttered- wow, apologies were hard. "I know it's not what you want. I didn't realise that was your plan." She sighed, waiting for the break-up.

He put his hands on her shoulders. "It's okay. I'm not going to force you to marry me just to make myself feel better about it. I love you, you love me, and that's what matters, right?"

"Really?" Natasha asked skeptically. "I won't change my mind, you know that right? I won't ever want to get married."

Steve laughed and pulled her into a hug. "You never know, Nat… Maybe someday." He said wistfully. "Now, did you want to come to bed or were you going to freeze to death in your bed without shared body heat?"

Natasha pulled back. "No. I need you to tell me that you understand that I will _not_ get married. That's just not me. I don't want you waiting for me to change my mind, I don't want to disappoint you, Steve."

He nodded and grabbed her arm gently. "Okay. I understand. Now let's head to bed so we're not zombies tomorrow."

She walked in, half letting him lead her, still skeptical about him and the marriage thing. "Looking like a zombie usually gives me better results with the recruits." She informed him, before sliding into bed. She relished in the warmth and waited for him to join her.

He slipped in next to her and automatically pulled her into his arms, letting out a content sigh. "I still want to adopt with you." He suddenly said, carding his fingers lazily through her hair. "The sooner the better."

"I love you." She replied, kissing his chest before laying her head down.

"I love you too." He replied, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

* * *

Rhodey was lounging in the living room in front of the large TV, trying to look relaxed but internally panicking. _Where is he?_ He thought, leg bouncing agitatedly. He wasn't always like this, but sometimes the reality of impending fatherhood would crash down on him and leave him a jittery mess. And it always seemed to happen at the worst of times.

"Hey Rhodey," Sam greeted casually, walking in with a few beers and snacks. He placed them on the coffee table. "You alright, you look a bit green?"

Rhodey nodded jerkily and grabbed one of the beers right away, chugging down half of it. He internally scolded himself; how much more obviously _not okay_ could he seem? Slowing himself down, he carefully put the can back on the table and picked up the remote. "What did you want to watch?" He asked, trying to get the other man's attention off of himself.

Sam raised an eyebrow at him. "Uhh… anything. You sure you're alright?"

Rhodey nodded again and flipped to football- that was a normal thing to watch, right? Damn, his thoughts were so hazy right now; all he could think about was the baby. Was he ready to be a father? Would Wanda want to keep it? If she didn't, would he take her up on her offer and raise it on his own? Sighing, he grabbed a handful of pretzels and munched on them distractedly. He really shouldn't have agreed to this 'guys night' with Sam- he wasn't mentally present enough to do much of anything right now.

"Earth to Rhodey!" His friend called, waving his hand in front of his face. "Dude, you don't even like this football team, seriously, did Natasha give you detention again?"

Rhodey shook his head to clear it and flipped the channel to soccer without thinking. "No, I just… I'm distracted, I guess. Sorry." Then he turned his head to fully face the screen and watched the teams kick the ball all over the huge field, eyes not quite seeing the action as he was swept up in thoughts of his future child- _children?_ \- and how he could possibly stay sane through it all.

"You know, I find it unfair how Vision doesn't have to train as much as us. What do you think?" Sam asked, at an obvious attempt to start a conversation.

"Totally unfair," Rhodey responded noncommittally. Training… Would the baby grow into the hero life? Would they shelter him or her from the dangers of it? How old was old enough to start training? You'd have to start pretty young, right? Would he even want that for his child?

Sam was silent for a few minutes as he watched the game. "Hey, did you hear about what Wanda did, I mean-" he started, begin cut off by Rhodey.

"She didn't do anything!" Rhodey blurted without thinking. "I mean…" When he couldn't think of a way to salvage that train of thought, he just awkwardly kept his eyes glued to the TV screen.

"Okay… now I know something is seriously up." Sam responded. "What happened to us talking… jeez, I sound like a girl."

"Nothing's up, Sam." Rhodey defended, hoping he wouldn't get caught up in the blatant lie. Great, what kind of example would he be for his kid? He sighed and rubbed at his temple- all this obsessing was making his head hurt.

Sam sighed. "Yes, there is! You freaked when I was telling you about Wanda eating the last of the bacon! It's not like I accused her of throwing me in the wall or blowing something up with her powers." He pointed out. "What's going on, I can help!"

Rhodey's mind was already long gone as something else occurred to him: powers. Would the kid have powers like Wanda? Was that kind of thing inherited? How would they know? Was it something that, like, developed at puberty, or was it an immediate ability from birth? He could just imagine the temper tantrums ending in him being thrown through a wall or shown his worst nightmares. Now he _really_ feared for his sanity.

At Sam's prodding, he came back to reality. "Um…" Wait, could he tell Sam? Or did Wanda want to make a large announcement to everyone? He hadn't been told what the 'spreading the news' plan would be. "It's just…"

"It's just…" Sam repeated, waiting patiently- well, mostly patiently.

Pulling himself together, Rhodey let out a heavy exhale and decided that now was the time to fess up. "Wanda's pregnant. It's mine." He informed succinctly.

"Congrats, man!" Sam said, patting him on the shoulder with a grin. "I didn't even know you two were dating!"

"We… we're not." Rhodey explained, somewhat abashed. "We got drunk at the wedding reception, and, well…" He decided not to continue that sentence; Sam got the gist, he was sure.

Sam laughed. "Dude… still, congrats." He repeated. "I can already imagine a little Rhodey running around- Hey, imagine if it had Pietro's speed and you had to chase a naked toddler around who didn't want to get dressed; I'd pay to see that!"

Rhodey didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the thought; all it did was stress him out more. "Yeah." He grunted; he had to admit, though, that telling Sam took a weight from his shoulders and he found himself relaxing a little bit.

"Can I be godfather?" Sam asked with a cheeky grin.

Rhodey snorted. "Yeah, we'll see."

* * *

Natasha sat down on the desk, resting the laptop down in front of her. "I was thinking," she began, gaining Steve's attention. "If we were to have children, then Clint has the right idea to keep them out of his work- so we wouldn't be able to live here. But, the near isolation from the rest of the world just isn't right. I'd want them to have freedom, going to school like normal children, something I wasn't able to have." She paused, not even looking at Steve as she continued. "But, it would have to be somewhere easy to defend, close enough to here so we can work, in the country which is usually safer than the city- and more private, but close enough to a good, safe school." She finally looked at him, waiting for a response.

Steve blinked at the sudden instigation of what was sure to be a very complex conversation. She'd said the _far_ future when discussing adoption, but her actions made him think that maybe that 'far' future was much closer than he'd thought. Not that he minded; he felt a thrill of excitement at the realization that, not only were they actually setting the plans for adoption, but they were also going to buy a house. _Together_. That _had_ to be a milestone in their relationship. He offered her a genuine smile. "Alright; did you have a place in mind?" He asked, just in case that was what was on her laptop screen, currently angled so he couldn't clearly see it.

"The Starks own all of this land, across a two mile radius from here; however, there was a dispute at one point, where they were just shy of two miles, and Stark being Stark bought out the other person, adding another mile onto it. It's a flat area which would be very easy to build on, and it's not publically known that Stark owns it." Natasha informed him. "That puts us in a great position, close to the base, under private ownership, four miles from the nearest town which just so happens to have a great school."

He nodded along as he looked over the information on the screen. "That's great! Do you know if the bus routes run along that area? Because it probably wouldn't be the best if we drove the kid to school and their classmates started blabbing about seeing Captain America and Black Widow with a child there."

Natasha shook her head, "Not yet, but there is a stop for school buses nearby, so we can drop our child there for collection. I haven't worked that part out yet." She admitted, typing onto the laptop.

Steve grinned. "That's alright, we can figure it out when we get to that point." He reassured. "But I like your thinking. Do you think Stark would let us build on that property?" Although he had a feeling that, even if Tony was against it, _Mrs._ Stark would ensure that they could.

"I'm sure there won't be an issue." Natasha replied, a hint of evilness in voice. "Anything else we'd need to work out? I was thinking about the house, simply because it could take a long time to get built and I wouldn't even consider thinking of a child without a safe place for them to sleep."

"Well, considering the resources Stark has access to, building the house would take half as much time as it usually would." He noted. "Should we start planning the rooms and such? How many bedrooms would we need? Would we want a guest bedroom?" He grabbed his own laptop, took a moment to get it open to the right program (damn, technology was still a pain in the ass for him) and began jotting down notes.

Natasha tilted her head at his question. "A few guest rooms, that way, Clint could bring his kids over, they could stay over. So… lots of space for people sleeping over, just in case." She answered. "And, we'll need a safe room, for emergencies."

He wrote that down with a nod of agreement. "Got it. What about yard space? We could put a playset in the backyard- maybe gymnastics equipment if you wanted them to be tiny spies." He joked.

She let out a little laugh. "That would be a good idea. They would need to know how to defend themselves anyway, maybe we could have a basement with mats and fighting equipment, keep it localised and locked when we're not there." Natasha suggested, pushing her laptop away from her to look at his with him, leaning against him slightly. "And maybe have an attic, with stairs up to it, as a playroom, where they can keep their toys. I don't think I could put up with toys all over his or her bedroom."

Steve chuckled and made note of this as well. "Good point. And we'd need a big kitchen, preferably with screened windows." He added, wincing as he remembered Sam's debilitating pancake to the face. "And it _must_ have at least three fire extinguishers." That really had been a bad day for the base's kitchen...

"Yes, you are banned from cooking when I'm not there." Natasha commented. "How about four bedrooms? One for us, one for our child, and two guest rooms?"

"Good idea," He concurred. "And at _least_ three bathrooms- I'm not sharing a bathroom with a child, and especially not with Clint and his family when they stay over." He asserted, typing that in.

"Ensuite bathroom for us, then. Then one downstairs and one upstairs?"

"Great!" He saved the document, pulling up a Google search. "Now let's look into the adoption process." He decided, looking up to see her reaction to this.

Natasha looked slightly scared for a split second before smiling at him with a determined look. "If things don't work out, we can just kidnap one, right?" She questioned cheekily.

Steve laughed and pulled her head down to plant a kiss on her. "You got it, Babe." He replied with a smile.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**


	24. Surprise birthday party disaster

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello there!**

 **I received _fifteen_ reviews for the last chapter and oh my, I am still grinning! **

**I had a bit of a tough day yesterday, and I read through all the reviews again, and it really helped me.**

 **Thank you everybody, here's the chapter.**

* * *

Steve ducked down behind the present table with a smile, watching as the others did the same. Considering Wanda's powers, however, they'd decided that the act of surprising her would be risky, so they planned on being quieter and slower than usual when jumping out and saying 'surprise'. Wanda was due to arrive in less than a minute, so he strained his ears for the sound of her footsteps. He caught Natasha's eye as she crouched across from him, behind the couch.

"You ready?" He mouthed to her.

She gave him a firm nod, looking very prepared- it was obvious she was treating this like any other mission. "Let's do this."

Sam, the appointed lookout, snuck back into the room and whisper-shouted, "She's coming!" Steve listened for the door opening, nodded to Natasha and Rhodey, and jumped up.

"Surprise!" They all exclaimed.

Wanda jumped back, her hands out, but thankfully, she didn't attack. "What's going on?" She asked, eyeing up everybody and the gifts.

Rhodey, the father-to-be, went up to her, taking her in his arms. "We thought we'd have a little birthday celebration for our favorite pregnant woman." He said with a big smile.

"Birthday celebration…" Wanda repeated. "Do you know any other pregnant woman?" She asked Rhodey.

Natasha leant into Steve. "When can I leave?"

He rolled his eyes and nudged her lightly with his elbow. "Be nice- it's her birthday." He chastised with a small chuckle.

Rhodey was still smiling. "Good point. Still, happy birthday, Wanda!"

"And P-" Wanda paused, taking a shaky step back. "I don't want to celebrate my birthday." She told them, shaking her head. She brought a hand to her head shakily, the red mist of her powers illuminating gently beneath her fingertips.

Steve easily made the connection in his head- today was Pietro's birthday, too, and he wasn't here to celebrate with his twin. It made sense she'd be reluctant to celebrate on her own. He stepped to one side, upon seeing her powers start to activate. "Rhodey…" he lightly warned, not wanting to startle Wanda.

Rhodey, however, had never met Pietro, and looked simply confused. "Why not?" He reached out and took hold of her wrist when she began turning away. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

"I can't without-" Wanda didn't finish her sentence as she tried pulling away from Rhodey and instead, her powers activated, sending seven rays of red light in different directions- one straight up Rhodey's arm and into his head. "Rhodey!"

He fell back and clutched at his head, groaning in pain and something else Steve couldn't identify- mostly because his attention was focused on the sudden impact of a ray right in the center of his chest. He let out a grunt and flew back a little from the force of it, hands raking over his head in distress as the images started appearing.

 _A bag, fully packed, waiting on the bed. Its owner grabbing the last of her things from her drawer. His hand reaching out for the redheaded woman. He pulled back immediately when her head shot up and she fixed a hateful glare on him._

" _C'mon, Nat, don't do this." He pleaded-_ begged _. She only scowled and grabbed the last shirt, shoving it forcefully into her bag and then slinging the bag over her shoulder. She began to make her way towards the front door, not once looking back. "Nat! Please! Nat!" He called, following hastily, despair rising up in his chest and wrapping around his heart, which was torn in two already from the pure malice with which she had regarded him. "Come back! I love you! Please!"_

 _She scoffed. "Like I could ever love you. It was all a game, you were just too stupid and naive to realise. How could you expect me to actually_ want _to settle down with you?"_

 _His stomach curled at the harshness of her words, threatening to expel everything he'd eaten that day. Why was this happening? "I… I thought it's what you wanted… what we both wanted! We were a family!" He cried, moisture building up in his eyes. What had he done to deserve such a terrible fate? He couldn't imagine living without Natasha!_

" _Don't be ridiculous, Steve. Do you even know me? Steve. Steve. Wake up, Steve."_

What? Steve shook his head jerkily and gasped, shooting up into a sitting position. Where was he? He'd been in his- _their_ \- room… "Nat?" He called tentatively, fearing that she wouldn't be there to reply.

"Steve. Focus on my voice. Are you okay?" Natasha asked, her hands on either side of his head, forcing him to look at her. She was kneeling beside him.

The relief that filled his entire body was enough to bring fresh tears to his eyes. She was _there_! She was beside him and touching him and didn't have hatred in her eyes- only thinly-veiled concern. He leant against her, head resting on her shoulder. "You're still here." He whispered, his voice was muffled.

"Sure, next time Wanda accidently hits you with her powers, I'll go grab some tacos." Natasha muttered sarcastically, patting his back as she hugged him back. "Are you okay?" She repeated.

Not trusting his voice to stay steady, he simply nodded, squeezing her the tiniest bit tighter and cherishing the feeling of her in his arms. Around him he heard similar questions being asked, but was too frazzled to take a look at who was asking who and what had happened to them.

Natasha pulled back slightly. "Can you stand? Let's get you back to our room." She tugged him slightly.

 _Our room_. Not his- _theirs_. She was still living with him. She hadn't left. After getting shaky with relief once again, he finally managed to stand with little assistance. He glanced around- Sam was crouched over Rhodey, who was blearily asking where he was. Steve remembered that he'd been affected by Wanda's powers, too. Speaking of which, where was Wanda? He turned to Nat and asked her this.

"Don't worry; Bucky's looking after her. She was getting stressed." Natasha pulled him closer. "Just focus on walking- you're extremely heavy and will fall down to the ground if you don't help." She warned him.

Steve followed her advice and focused on putting one foot in front of the other, head spinning slightly and making him lean into her a few times until he found his balance again. They made it to their room without incident, and Steve immediately collapsed on the bed, exhausted. "'M gonna sleep for a bit." He slurred to Natasha, face squashed into the duvet.

"Okay. You take a nap." Natasha said, throwing the covers over him.

* * *

Natasha stifled a yawn, beginning to feel tired- she had expected Steve to only sleep for a few hours, but it appeared he was going to sleep until morning. As she placed her book to the side, he began moving. Upon a quick look, she noted that he was still asleep- he didn't usually move that much in his sleep.

She saw that, upon closer inspection, he was covered in sweat, and his face was crumpled in- fear? Desperation? "Nat, please!" He whined- _whined_. "Please! No!" His voice began raising in volume and his arms thrashed, nearly hitting her. "Please!"

Natasha grabbed one of his arms to stop him from hitting her. "Steve… Steve!" She sighed; the thought of him having a nightmare and the possibility of more nightmares due to Wanda was making her skin crawl. And now, she knew it was about her. She stroked his hair out of his face. "Shush, it's okay. I'm here. Wake up, Steve. Open your eyes." She tempted.

"Natasha!" He cried one last time, flying into a seated position and breathing heavily. He was quiet for several minutes before slowly turning his head to her. "...Nat?" He whispered, rubbing an eye.

She released his arm before reaching over and grabbing a towel that had been left on the floor earlier. Silently she handed it to him. "I'm here."

Steve reached out a shaky hand and took the towel, wiping it over his face and neck, clearly attempting to slow his breathing down as well. "You're here." He repeated, looking at her for a long time before pulling her into another hug, resting his head on her shoulder. "You're here."

"Woah- what did you dream about? That I won't hug you?" Natasha asked, not pulling back, but leaning into the hug instead. This was the second time he pulled her into a hug- where did he think she had gone?

He let out a breath. "No. You left me." He stated, voice full of emotion.

Natasha shook her head. "I'm right here, Steve. I haven't gone anywhere, and I'm not going to. Okay? Right here."

He gave her another squeeze. "I know… It just hurts to see that sort of thing happen, even in a dream."

"Remember, it's just a dream." Natasha reminded him, peeling away his top. "Want me to grab you a change of clothes?" She offered, seeing that it was absolutely soaked with sweat.

"Sure," he replied, leaning back on his pillows. "Nat?"

"Yes, Steve?" Natasha asked, sliding out of their bed and over to the drawers. She began rummaging through them, giving Steve the time to ask the question.

"Thank you." He said simply.

She turned around and faced him with a small smile on her face, holding some new pyjamas which Tony had supplied. "For what?" She asked as she stepped back over to the bed and slid onto it again.

Steve took a few seconds to change before settling in right next to her, their shoulders touching. "For being here."

Natasha grinned at him. "You're welcome. And Steve?" She waited for him to look at her. "There's no place I'd rather be."

* * *

Wanda turned sideways, looking at herself in the mirror. She was sure she was bigger than this morning. She sighed; it was doubtful she could wear Rhodey's joggers anymore- not now, after practically attacking him when he was kind enough to throw her a birthday party. With a glance down at the joggers- which were Rhodey's- she wondered how much maternity clothes would be. Her eyes widened as she thought about how much baby clothes would be… and diapers… and a cot. She definitely couldn't afford a baby, not when she couldn't even really afford to buy herself new clothes.

There was a knock on the door. "Wanda?" Rhodey called rather politely. "Wanda, are you okay?"

She stared at the door, speechless for a few moments, before stepping over to it and opening it slightly, not really believing that Rhodey was here. "Are you okay?" She asked him guiltily.

He offered a reassuring smile. "I'm perfectly fine, I promise- just got shaken up a bit. Can I come in?" He looked so hopeful.

Wanda nodded and stepped back, pulling the door open fully. "Of course."

Rhodey nodded gratefully and moved to sit on her couch, and she noticed that he left a suspiciously Wanda-sized gap between himself and the armrest, and was gazing up at her in question. "C'mere," he insisted, patting the cushion beside him.

"I'll stand." Wanda replied hesitantly. Why would he want her to get closer to him? If somebody just did that to her, she wouldn't want to get close to them so _soon_. Steve must hate her; this was the _second_ time she used her powers on him.

Rhodey looked slightly disappointed but nodded. "Alright, but don't stand for too long- you probably shouldn't put so much strain on your legs and stuff in your condition."

She tilted her head at him. "I'm only four months pregnant- it's not like I'm nine months, or in pain." She informed him simply.

He chuckled a little. "Touché." Then he got serious again. "Wanda, I'm not mad at you for what happened- I shouldn't have grabbed you and made you freak out. The vision I had was… eye-opening." He shuddered almost intangibly. "But it made me realise something very important, so don't worry- you're forgiven, even if there was very little to forgive in the first place." He assured, looking her right in the eyes.

Wanda looked down. "I miss him."

"Who?" He asked, concern in his voice.

"My brother, Pietro." Wanda answered, her confusion at him not knowing overshadowed by her grief. "This is the first birthday without him…"

Rhodey's face sunk sympathetically. "Oh, Wanda, I'm so sorry- I should have known… I mean… Are you okay?"

Wanda shrugged- she wasn't sure how she was feeling about it- and sat down next to him. "He was twelve minutes older than me, and would always open his present from me twelve minutes before I was allowed to open my present from him. So… when he couldn't open his- how could I possibly open mine?"

"Oh, Wanda…" Rhodey repeated, genuine sorrow in his voice. He cautiously put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her a little closer. "I didn't know Pietro, and I really wish that I had, but… I don't think he'd want you to be so sad on your birthday. I'm sure he's enjoying his own slice of birthday cake in heaven or whatever you want to call it- the place where the wonderful people go." He comforted.

She nodded. "Can't I just celebrate it tomorrow?" She asked. Today was her and Pietro's day- she couldn't do that without him. But another day? That didn't make her seem so guilty. She leant into his embrace automatically, surprisingly able to remain calm.

He hummed. "Sure, Wanda. Whatever makes you more comfortable." He hugged her a little tighter, clearly encouraged by her automatic response. "How's Baby today?" He suddenly asked, most likely to lighten the mood. One of his hands slowly drifted to hover hesitantly over her stomach.

Wanda's hands came around his to hold them to her stomach. "Baby is making Mommy fat."

His fingers splayed a little and he looked down at his hands almost in wonder. "Hi, Baby." He whispered. He smiled up at her, a big, genuine smile that lit up his whole face. "This is amazing. And you look beautiful- not fat." He added.

"Thank you." Wanda said genuinely. She wasn't sure she liked getting bigger, but mainly because she was terrified to have a baby. "Baby actually moved this morning- I nearly fell out of bed in surprise… it was pretty magical." She admitted.

Rhodey chuckled. "That's so cool! I wish I had been there to feel it!" He commented. "I wonder when they'll start kicking more often?"

"I hope it doesn't kick at all! And I'm not sure if you could have felt it. It was just me… my organs felt it." Wanda explained, having read up a bit on it, but not knowing how to explain properly; her mind was speeding through the thoughts at a hundred miles per hour. "But when the kicking starts, and you'll be able to feel it, I'll give you a call?" She suggested.

"Oh… A call." Rhodey suddenly seemed much less cheerful, hands reluctantly leaving her stomach. He chewed his lip for a moment. "Wanda, I... I don't want you to call me when things happen with the baby- _our_ baby." He said. "I…"

Wanda nodded. "Oh… Okay. That's fine, I'll uhh…" She started, not sure what to say. He had wanted the baby; when did he change his mind? Should she still keep it? It was definitely too late for an abortion; she had felt it move- not that she would have actually be able to go through an abortion.

"No, that's not what I meant!" Rhodey quickly said, interrupting her thoughts. "I… Ugh, why can't I _say_ -" He cut himself off, gathered himself, then calmly tried again. "I want to be here to watch our baby grow. I want to be _here_. With _you_." He stared at her hopefully, eyes practically begging her to understand.

"You _are_ here." Wanda replied slowly, confusion practically gushing out of her pores. "Did you want to come to the next… ultrasound appointment? The doctor says we might be able to find out the gender of the baby- it's in a few weeks." She asked him, not exactly sure what he meant, but certain he was asking for more involvement in the baby's life.

"Ultrasound appointment? I'd love to come," Rhodey accepted sincerely. "But I would still like to be here… with you. Helping you out, being around more." He explained.

"Like… all day?" Wanda asked, catching on to what he was talking about, but unsure and not wanting to make a fool of herself.

He nodded, a smile appearing. "Yes! Well, except for when we're training separately or have to go somewhere else for awhile… But yes! And, well, nights as well- I could sleep on your couch, or I could sleep on my couch and you get my bed, but we could work it out. I mean… if you're okay with that." He hastily added.

"Do you snore?" She questioned.

Rhodey seemed slightly taken aback at the sudden response. "Oh, um, no."

"Then I don't have a problem with that." Wanda replied. She was tempted to offer them sharing a bed, but the only time they had both been on a bed had involved the act which had gotten her pregnant in the first place.

Rhodey's giant smile returned and he put his hand back on her stomach. "That's great! Thank you!" He pulled her into another hug and planted a kiss on her forehead.

Wanda felt the baby move. "Baby's moving- must be from your voice." She replied. Could the baby even hear his voice yet?

If his smile had been big before, it was nothing compared to the ear-to-ear grin adorning his face. "Do you think it can actually hear me yet?"

"Of course!" Wanda replied, having no idea if the baby even had _ears_ yet. "It doesn't hurt to talk to it, though." She added with a smile.

"Really?" He lowered his face a little. "Hey, Kid. Can you hear me? I'm your daddy."

Wanda smiled softly. This part of the pregnancy she actually really liked.

* * *

 **Hey guys, so there's a few couples in this story. I want to know which ones you'd like to see the most. Give me a run down of fav to least please!**


	25. Hair changes

**Author's Note:**

 **Ooh, a slightly shorter chapter this time!**

 **How are you all? Hope you aren't too affected the the Monday Blues!**

 **Huge thank you to my amazing reviewers on my previous chapter:** **Sportfan64; IndianSweetGirl; Baibe; TheJollyRoger; RomanogerLaucifer; RocketRaccoon15; Moustache1234; LilyRose14; gundamseeddestiny; RollinWithCodineAndASwisha; Princess2016; Javie-1998.**

 **And to thespectacledspectator, who started reviewing the first two chapters! I hope you catch up :D**

* * *

Steve was sorting through his small movie selection, looking for the perfect one for the two of them to watch, when Natasha exited the bathroom and approached him. She was holding the end of a lock of fiery hair to presumably show him its length, her other hand resting on her hip. He raised a brow at her curiously- was she thinking of dying it again? He'd already assured her that the natural red was perfect on her and, admittedly, quite sexy. But she was clearly disgruntled with something to do with her hair.

"What's up?" He asked when she didn't immediately speak.

"I'm thinking about cutting my hair again." She informed him. "What do you think, shoulder length? Like when we met?"

Steve jumped up. "No! Don't cut it, Nat!" He exclaimed. At her confused look, he elaborated. "I think longer hair looks way better on you- not that you looked _bad_ before, but-" He stopped there.

Natasha gave him a weird look. "Long hair can get in the way more… if I have it long again, I'll have to consider the style." She looked up in thought. "It's too long to have it simply straight…" She trailed off in contemplation.

"Why not curly? Curly looks really good on you," He said, referring to one of the styles she'd worn in their earlier dating phase.

She nodded. "Possibly, but light curls. Although, I do love dynamic curls. I'm thinking about dying it a darker red, too; it's too bright for my liking- it's harder to blend in with this shade."

Not this again. "Nat, your hair is the perfect colour- and hair doesn't affect much when you're trying to blend in. You could always wear a hat." He really loved the colour of her hair the way it was.

Natasha turned and looked in the mirror, scrutinising it. "You're just saying that." She tilted her hair to the side. "Definitely too bright, but you're right- it's a nice length."

"I'm always right." He replied with a chuckle. "Now stop being so self-conscious and help me pick a movie."

"I'll pick up the dye when I go to Stark's for the girls night." She told him, although it was mainly to herself, before she turned around to face him. "I don't mind what we watch; how about _The Sixth Sense_?" She suggested.

"Sounds spooky." Steve commented. Wasn't that the one Stark kept quoting on Halloween last year? "Let's do it."

Natasha slid into the bed. "If you get scared, you can always hold onto me." She offered with a smile, giving him her full attention.

That was too good to pass up. "Good idea." He slid in next to her and put his arms around her.

* * *

Natasha sipped her alcoholic drink as she calmly followed Tony with her eyes; she wondered if she could sneak away now and talk to him or if she should wait until later. Unfortunately, Maria arrived, meaning the girls night had officially started.

"There you are, Maria. I was starting to think you'd abandoned us," Natasha teased.

Maria rolled her eyes. "If you _must_ know, Bucky wouldn't let me… pause our activities." She winked and laughed a little.

Pepper joined her laughter, patting her on the arm. "Tony was the same way last week!"

Wanda awkwardly looked down. "I did not need that visual." She muttered. Natasha scoffed slightly.

Maria scooted over and nudged Wanda with her elbow. "What's wrong? Are we offending your virgin ears?" She joked lightly, giving the younger woman a kind smile.

"Maria, are you blind? She's nearly five months pregnant- I think that's the opposite of being a virgin." Natasha pointed out.

Wanda blushed in embarrassment. "I'm not _that_ big." She murmured.

Maria blinked and stared down at Wanda's stomach like she was seeing it for the first time. "Wow. I hadn't even noticed." She was saying to herself.

Pepper squealed. "Congratulations, Wanda!" She exclaimed. "Who's the lucky guy? Do you know the gender yet? What are your plans? What names have you thought of? Do you need any financial support? Supplies?" She shot off questions rapid-fire.

Wanda looked at Natasha for support. "Rho..Rhodey…" She trailed off.

"Rhodey is the father; they do not know the gender yet and will wait until then before deciding names. They are still working out the plans right now- it was a surprise to the both of them." Natasha answered in full for her.

"Yes, that." Wanda agreed.

Pepper's expression softened. "Oh, Honey, everything is going to work out perfectly fine. And I'd be happy to take you supply shopping- Nat, maybe you could come too- since babies can be fairly expensive." She offered with a smile.

Maria extended a hand and gently poked Wanda's stomach. "This is just so… weird. In a good way, of course, but I was _not_ expecting this." She commented.

"Thanks," Wanda said gratefully to Pepper as Natasha swatted Maria's hand away. "But not just yet- Rhodey and I still have a lot to work out. I really appreciate your offer."

"Maria, snap out of it." Natasha whispered. "You were trained as an agent and spy- adjust."

Maria stuck her tongue out rather childishly but retracted her hand and watched the proceedings calmly.

"Well, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call, okay?" Pepper was asking Wanda, cupping both of her hands in her own. "It'll give me great practice."

Wanda nodded, but didn't have chance to respond.

"Practice? You have to practice shopping?" Natasha questioned. Was this another girl thing she didn't know about?

Pepper burst out laughing. "Me? Need _practice_ shopping?" After she had calmed a little, she sent Natasha a smile. "No, I'll need practice choosing what to buy for pregnancy- Tony and I have to decided to try for a baby." Her smile grew.

"Congratulations." Natashas replied with a smile.

Wanda grinned widely. "That's amazing! Good luck."

Maria sat forward. "Really? You too? Is there some sort of Avengers Baby Boom going on all of a sudden?" She cried dramatically. She turned to Nat. "Do _you_ have a similar announcement?" She asked sarcastically.

Natasha smirked at her friend. "Steve and I are planning to adopt." She announced. "Your turn."

After getting over the initial shock that apparently Natasha _had_ had a similar announcement, Maria leaned back against the couch, sipping her drink. "Hell no! I'm happy to be childless."

Pepper snorted. "Oh, come on- wouldn't you like to have a little Bucky Junior running around?" She teased. Maria didn't grace that with a response.

Wanda laughed. "It's going to be baby central."

"You sure you don't want to join in, Maria? I'm sure Bucky would make a good father; he's from the forties, so he's got the gentleman gene still in him." Natasha questioned.

Pepper got a dreamy look. "Just think- he'd have Bucky's eyes and your hair, he'd have a little button nose… Then you'd get even softer and have another baby, and she'd look just like Bucky and act like you…"

Maria elbowed her in the arm, just a little bit more forceful than earlier. "Shut up, Pepper. Can you imagine what kind of lifestyle we'd have? I'd probably break the poor thing." She defended. "Not happening. Never."

Pepper ignored her and slung an arm around her shoulders. "We'll all be laughing so hard when we look back on this conversation with your children running around at our feet."

"I can already see it. I thought you wanted children, Maria." Natasha said teasingly; not that they had ever discussed children before.

Maria shot her an 'are you serious' look. "What gave you that impression, exactly?" She demanded. "I have never stated that I wanted children."

"Ah, Maria, we're all friends here- we can see how jealous you are. You totally want kids, and you totally want them to be Bucky's." Pepper said with a laugh.

Maria's cheeks turned red. "I have _never_ even _implied_ any sort of desire to have children with Bucky Barnes."

"That doesn't mean you don't want his children." Wanda pointed out softly.

"You don't need to say anything, Maria. But we're here." Natasha told her supportively. "Now pass another beer- especially if we're going to continue talking about babies."

* * *

Natasha stepped away from the girls, using the excuse of needing to use the bathroom when they started talking about tattoos. After actually using the bathroom, she made her way into Tony's lab. "I knew I'd find you here."

Tony looked up from whatever project he'd been working on and shot her a crooked smile. "Well, considering this _is_ my lab, it's not a difficult leap of logic." He countered before returning his attention to the device he was tinkering with.

"What are you working on?" She asked conversationally and hoped his answer would be short so she could get straight to the point.

"I'd explain it to you, but then I'd have to kill you." He joked. "What are you _really_ here for?"

"Progress report on the adoption- have you had the chance to… sort out the legal issues?" Natasha asked, walking straight up to him.

"Ah- yes, I have, actually!" Tony answered, pulling up a holo-display. "All that's left for you to do is fill out the last bits of paperwork and choose a baby." He smirked. "You're welcome- I accept thank you gifts in the form of candy and lab equipment."

Natasha looked at the paperwork, examining it quietly for a few moments. "Thank you, Tony. This really helps."

He preened. "Anything for my favorite spy-mama." He teased lightly, turning back to his project. "Tell Capsicle I say 'hi'."

"Tease me all you like, but you'll be the new parent soon enough." Natasha replied, transferring all of the files to her email.

Something appeared on Tony's face- something happier and softer than she'd seen on him. "Yeah." He said simply before diving back into his work.

She smiled softly before returning to the girls.

"Nat, convince Pepper to dye her hair." Maria practically ordered before she had even sat back down.

"No! I like it the way it is!" Pepper objected, almost sounding like a whine.

Natasha smirked. "Where's your creativity? Just imagine Tony's expression. And a change like that? He'll be all over you."

Maria smirked. "And wouldn't you just _love_ that?" She crooned.

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Why aren't you bothering Wanda about this?" She asked, gesturing to the younger woman.

"I'm pregnant; you're not supposed to dye your hair- the peroxides and fumes that seep into your skin aren't necessarily good for the baby." Wanda answered simply.

"You didn't know that?" Natasha teased Pepper. "This might be your last chance before you get pregnant."

Sighing, Pepper relented. "Fine. But I'm not overdoing it." She said adamantly. Maria clapped her on the back.

"There's the Pepper we love!"

Natasha smirked- she was so easy to break. "We can dye mine at the same time. How about you, Maria? You can't very well back down either."

Maria shrugged. "Why not?" She said agreeably.

Pepper groaned. "This is going to be such a mess."

Wanda tilted her head. "Doesn't Stark have robots that do all of your cleaning?" She questioned.

"That doesn't mean messes are good!" Pepper retorted.

Maria snorted. "You're such a whiner, Pepper. C'mon, don't worry about it." Pepper shot her a look but didn't argue.

Natasha stood up, offering Wanda a hand and helping her up. "Let's go before she changes her mind."

"Oh, please." Pepper droned. "Let's just get this over with."

Wanda laughed as Natasha rolled her eyes. She made sure that Pepper walked with them as they left.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**


	26. The gender

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello there! We have reached over 300 reviews! Absolutely amazing!**

 **My WiFi is down at home (Sobs), so... if the next chapter is a little later than usual, it's because I haven't had a proper chance to write it! I've come to my Mums to post this chapter (And catch up on a few programs!)**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter! It's nice and long :D**

* * *

Natasha ran her fingers through her hair; the conditioner used really had nourished it more than she was used to. She watched Wanda walk into her own room and practically collapse onto her bed- maybe she should stop dragging the younger girl to girls nights,; at least until after she'd given birth. She shrugged off the thought and walked back to her room, her eyebrows knitting together when she noticed that the bed was unmade and Steve was not in it.

"Can I help you?" Steve asked from behind her.

She turned around, watching Steve's eyes widen at his obvious failure to recognise his own girlfriend. "It's only technically six shades darker- I was going to go nine."

"Woah…" He muttered, stepping closer to scrutinise her hair. "Why'd you go so dark? It was fine already! Not that this doesn't look good, it's just…" He grabbed a lock and examined it.

Natasha crossed her arms and glared at him. "It's just… _what?_ " She demanded. Even though her expression was icy cold, and she looked truly pissed at his insensitive response, she was actually grinning inside- not that she let it show as she waited impatiently for him to continue. "Well?"

Steve paled at her response. "It's just… uh… well, you didn't need to change it in the first place, is what I meant. But you look good!" He added hastily.

Her expression didn't change as she turned away from him. "If you don't like it, you can say so." She replied, although her tone was all that was needed to inform him that it would be best to _not_ say so.

"No! I like it! I _love_ it! C'mon, Nat, I didn't mean to sound rude!" He cried, ever the gentleman.

She shook her head slightly, letting out a deep sigh. "I'm not sure I believe you." She said dramatically, but turned around and threw him playful glance.

He finally seemed to catch on. "Nat, are you kidding me? I thought you were being serious!" He exclaimed somewhat indignantly.

"Sorry, it was just too tempting." Natasha stepped closer to him. "Next time I change something, just say you love it regardless. And then we won't have a problem- got it?" She asked, tugging at the hem of his shirt.

Steve sighed. "Alright, I get it already." But he was smiling now. "Hey, it _is_ a good colour for you."

"Just shut up and kiss me, Steve." She expressed, pulling him down so their lips met; not that he needed that much prompting

* * *

Steve ended the call from Maria Hill- she'd blown up his phone with texts and calls when Bucky suddenly wasn't answering his own. It turned out he'd forgotten to charge it. He looked up when Natasha strolled in, laptop under her arm. "Hey, Nat." He greeted easily.

"Hey, Steve- who was on the phone?" She asked casually, placing the laptop on the bed and pulling her top off as she simultaneously opened the wardrobe.

"Just Hill, harassing me about Bucky's phone habits." He replied in exasperation. "That woman is downright possessive with him." He scooted over as a silent invitation for her to join him sitting against the headboard.

Natasha nodded before grabbing her go bag and pulling out a top, sliding it on before joining him on the bed. "Is she? I hadn't noticed… although, I suppose you'll think it's bizarre to send Hill daily progress reports about Bucky."

Steve furrowed his brows. "Um… yeah, just a bit." He answered. Was she for real? He shook his head and changed the topic. "Anyway, what have you been up to?"

"Just received a progress report from Tony about the adoption paperwork- I asked him to help with a few technical things." She informed him casually.

That cheered Steve right up. "Really? How's everything going?" He was somewhat surprised, as they hadn't done too much paperwork themselves.

"Great, it's nearly all finalised. He's speed up the process for us, so we won't need the usual checks- which I wouldn't pass- and they won't need to do a check on the house- which hasn't been completed yet." Natasha paused. "Although the house should be ready in a month." She added as an afterthought.

Steve blinked. "Wait, what? It's almost done- _already_?" He asked, stunned. "And the house, too? Building houses doesn't take two months- it takes at least six!" Although with Tony's connections and technology, it shouldn't have been surprising.

Natasha looked at him slightly blankly for a moment before smiling softly. "I wanted to get all of the hassle out of the way so we could do it all in our own time. When we are cleared, we can work out when we want to adopt, if we wanted to get a pet first, or whatever. But then the pressure is off. And I like knowing that we have a house we can escape to." She looked slightly hesitant for a second. "Too much?"

While it took him a moment to process it, he still smiled reassuringly. "No, it's great!" He encouraged. "I'm just surprised at how well you've got this all handled!"

"I like to be prepared." She replied and pulled the laptop towards them, opening it up. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something." She admitted, opening it up to a form.

"What's that?" He asked, eyeing the form curiously.

"Tony started it, but… It's a form to adopt babies; the process is long because you can talk to the woman whilst she's pregnant," Natasha told him. "I wanted your opinion."

"Oh! Um…" What was his opinion? "Alright. When do we start?"

Natasha hesitated, leaning back. "I don't want to start…" she began awkwardly. "I don't want to adopt a baby."

Steve's heart did a flip nervously. What did that mean? She was having second thoughts about adopting? Or was he just overanalyzing everything and she meant exactly what she'd said? "You don't? You mean, not right now?"

"No…" Natasha sighed. "There's hundreds- probably thousands- of children out there without families. Older children that nobody wants. I'd rather adopt one of them."

He found himself nodding along. "You're right," he agreed. "I like that much more. When do we start the process?"

She looked at him skeptically. "When we're officially approved, we can just arrange to visit orphanages or homes. Then it depends on the child on how much paperwork is required."

"Okay. What age range would you say? I'm thinking three to ten years old? Not babies, but not teenagers, either- I'm not sure I'm ready for raising a teenager. At least not for a while." Steve replied.

Natasha nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good. Maybe between five and ten, then. Old enough to understand roughly what's going on and young enough for them to grow with us."

Steve absolutely smiled- _grow with us_. "I almost can't believe this is really happening." He confessed excitedly. "We're going to be _parents_ , Nat! A family!"

She smiled at him. "I think I'm _actually_ nervous." She admitted sheepishly, the smile growing on her lips.

That made his grin grow, and he put his arm around her shoulders, pulled her close, and pressed a kiss to her lips. "But I know that, together, we'll be the best parents a kid could ask for. Right?"

Natasha nodded slightly, but stopped. "Nope, I'm confident that Clint and Laura are the best parents any child could ask for." She corrected him seriously before pulling him in for another kiss.

He laughed, pulling back after a few seconds. "Alright, but we can settle for second-best." Then he kissed her again.

She didn't argue with him, just moved the laptop out of the way so she could get closer to him.

* * *

Wanda sat cross-legged on her bed beside Natasha, legs awkwardly brushing against her distended stomach- it wasn't unbearably big yet, but it was starting to be blatantly obvious that she was pregnant. Natasha had agreed to read through some pregnancy 'what to expect' books with her and help her understand some of the more complicated information. Also, while her mastery of the English language was impressive, there were still a few words, like 'epidural', that she had never heard of before and needed a little help with translating.

She was currently on a section about choosing the right type of birth- examples of which were home, hospital, and water births. "Natasha? What kind of birth do you think would be best for me?" She honestly couldn't tell for herself. Hospital was the safest for the baby, right? But hospital environments made her nervous. Also, coupled with the fact that her powers had a significant chance of acting out during labour pains, it would presumably be safer for others if the baby was born somewhere that was lacking in excess people. She didn't want to hurt any doctors or other labouring mothers and their new babies.

"That's up to you; whichever you'd be the most comfortable with." Natasha answered, looking at her slightly curiously at the question. "There are a few private doctors who are well trained; they will take care of you and your baby."

Wanda explained her reasoning to Natasha as succinctly as she could before asking, "Am I just being paranoid, Natasha?" She felt rather pitiful, but that might have just been the hormones everyone spoke of.

Natasha smiled supportively. "No. You're not. I just don't think I'm the best person to be giving you advice." She admitted.

"Oh. I think you are- you're very good at making judgement calls. This is just another form of strategy, right?"

There were a few moments of silence before Natasha nodded and walked over, glancing at the notes Wanda had made. "We can't do it in a hospital, your powers are an issue there, and Rhodey would be too recognisable. So, we can do it here, at Stark's tower… or any property Tony owns. They can be secure and we'll get a good team for you. So all you have to decide is water birth or normal birth."

"Water birth is in a tub, right? Won't that cause problems?" Wanda had never heard of giving birth _underwater_ before- it sounded dangerous. Then again, she'd never been close to any pregnant women, so she'd never been too exposed to childbirth.

"It's apparently cleaner, and your baby is in a liquid ball, so some say it's easier for the baby to adjust." Natasha answered briefly. "Just do a bit of research to make an informed decision. But, yes, it's in a tub."

"Alright…" Yes, she would _definitely_ be doing some research. "I wonder if Rhodey will be there…" She wondered, mostly to herself. He wanted to be more involved, yes, but would he want to be involved in the actual birthing process? Did she even want him to? There was a little voice in the back of her head saying yes, she wanted that very much.

"He's the father of the baby; I'm sure he'd want to see the birth of his child."

That was true. "I'm sure. Will you be there?" She asked hopefully. She wasn't sure if she could do something like that without Natasha by her side every step of the way. It was slightly clingy of her, but she needed Natasha.

Natasha stepped closer to her. "If you want me to be, I will be."

Wanda sighed in relief, a tiny weight being lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you." Then she continued reading, Nat doing the same.

* * *

Wanda paced outside of the room. The appointment wasn't for another fifteen minutes, but she was starting to feel extremely anxious. There was a chance they'd be able to find out the sex of the baby, and she was more nervous than excited. Her eyes flickered to the clock and she wondered where Rhodey was- had he forgotten? This was the first appointment she had invited him to after he'd expressed his interest in the baby's life- and hers, too.

"Sorry I'm late! Tony wouldn't stop harrassing me with last-minute advice." Rhodey said as he all but slid into the room. "Did I miss anything?" He asked breathlessly.

Wanda looked up at him, relieved. "No, I haven't gone in yet- I was waiting for you." She admitted.

He winced. "I'm so sorry. Can we go in yet? I'm excited." He added.

"Calm down, our appointment isn't for another fifteen minutes." Wanda told him, although they could go in at any time. "Take a seat- you look like you're about to pass out from excitement."

Rhodey nodded and did as told, making sure she sat down right next to him. After a few minutes of silence and him bouncing his leg anxiously, he turned to her. "Hey, I'll bet you ten bucks it's a boy." He said with a grin.

Wanda smiled slightly at the normalcy of that bet. "You're on." She agreed. "Are you calmer?"

He released a breath before answering. "I think so, yeah." He replied. "James Junior- I can see it already." He laughed a little.

She nearly replied, but halted. She would rather Pietro, after her brother- but she also wouldn't want to name her son after her brother. "Wanda Jr. sounds better." She replied lightly, standing up. "Let's go in."

"You'd name our _son_ Wanda Jr.?" Rhodey teased, allowing her to take the lead. His voice got a little breathier in what she assumed was nervousness. "I can't believe we're actually… doing this." He confessed, but there was happiness in his voice.

"It's a girl. I can feel her." Wanda replied, even though she had no indication on the gender. She took his hand, telling herself it was for him, but knowing it was for herself, before pushing open the door and leading them in.

"Sure you can- is that one of your lesser-known powers?" He asked.

Wanda looked at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She asked rhetorically before turning to the doctor.

"Wanda, pleasure to see you again. How are you feeling?" Doctor Wu asked.

"Fine… big." Wanda replied, sitting up on the bed as she released Rhodey's hand.

"Doctor, what are the chances of us learning the gender today?" Rhodey asked as he stood beside her.

The doctor smiled at him. "That all depends on the baby and whether or not they cooperate."

Rhodey nodded and watched intently as the woman began the procedure, rubbing a clear blue gel over Wanda's stomach after she laid down. It was freezing cold.

"It's normal for it to be cold," the doctor reassured with a smile, probably noticing how Wanda shivered a little. Then she turned on the sonogram and placed the wand on her belly, using it to rub the gel in further before focusing on one place at a time, gaze on the monitor in front of her. "Alright, I can see Baby's head…" She moved the wand a little. "Ah, there's the face… I'm going to go lower… There it is!" She turned the monitor to face the new parents with a large grin. "Congratulations. You are going to have a daughter."

Rhodey's mouth was hanging open in awe. "A girl…" He whispered.

Wanda stared at the screen, her mind going blank for a few moments. She was having a girl… a baby girl. "She?" She questioned, stunned. She wasn't sure why it had come as a surprise, but it took her a few moments before she could even think clearly and turn to Rhodey. "Pay up."

Rhodey stared at her dumbly for a few seconds before bursting out laughing. "I guess you _do_ have a hidden superpower!" He joked, putting a hand on her shoulder. His gaze returned to the black and white blob on the monitor. "Hey, Baby Girl." He muttered, hand lowering to rest against Wanda's side, as close as he could get to her stomach without getting goo on his fingers.

"Can we have some pictures?" Wanda asked, longingly staring at the picture, wanting it to last forever.

Doctor Wu offered a kind smile. "Of course." She typed something into her keyboard and told them the image was printing and would be waiting for them on their way out. "Did you have any questions about the baby?" She asked as she powered down the machine and began wiping the blue gel from Wanda's skin.

Wanda shook her head lightly, too many questions twirling through her mind for her to decipher. "Rhodey?"

He shook his head, still looking a bit awestruck. "Not really. I mean, other than when you think she'll be due?"

Doctor Wu nodded understandingly and took out Wanda's chart, looking through it for a few seconds. "Well… based on the data I've got here, I'd say somewhere around October seventeenth." Rhodey nodded and didn't ask anything else.

"Thank you, Doctor." Wanda replied sincerely- she had already known her due date- and pulled her top down before stepping off the bed. Without another word, she and Rhodey left the room- she was too stunned to talk, and he appeared to be as well.

* * *

Rhodey took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure; he had finally finished Natasha's set list for him to do. After Wanda fell pregnant, it seemed Natasha turned her focus onto him- which he had to admit, he didn't like. He thought he was in pretty good shape when he joined the Avengers, but now, according to her, there were a million things he needed to improve on. It was endlessly frustrating. He trudged over to the gym, where Natasha was training, showed her that he'd completed his assigned tasks, and asked if he could call it a day.

Natasha barely paid him any attention, staring at Steve, who she was sparring with. "Hit the showers, Rhodey. You did good."

That was probably the best compliment she'd ever given him, so he decided to leave before anything could happen that might, somehow, change her mind and make him have to do a whole new list of 'chores'. "Thanks. Good luck."

"See you later, Rhodey," Steve grunted as he blocked several vicious blows from Natasha. It was amazing, watching those two spar- they were so well-rehearsed in sparring with each other that it looked like an intricate dance. A violent dance, but a dance all the same.

"See ya," he replied and rushed to the showers.

Ten minutes later he was headed back to his own room for some relaxation that he had totally earned with those three hours of training. His muscles hurt, his organs hurt. Hell, even his bones hurt. He needed to schedule himself a professional massage or something.

He was jarred from his thoughts when he caught sight of a familiar figure. "Wanda?"

"Yeah?" She questioned, stepping completely into the corridor. "Oh, hey, Rhodey. What are you doing here?"

"Just got done training. You?" Rhodey replied, leaning on the wall beside her.

"Just…" Wanda pointed down the corridor before shrugging and looking back at him. "Walking around." She admitted with a small sheepish smile.

He nodded. "Want to do something? You seem like you need something to do- as do I." He offered nonchalantly. It was actually fairly hard to get a read on her as of late; she had been distant recently.

She nodded, stepping towards him. "What did you have in mind?"

"Uh… We could watch a movie." What kinds of movies did she even like?

Wanda nodded. "Sure, that sounds good. Do you like horrors?"

"I'm more into sports, actually, and mysteries, but horrors are definitely in my top three." He said lightly, giving her a smile. "I think I've got a few good ones, too. C'mon." He beckoned for her to follow as he led the way to his room.

She walked with him, not speaking for a few moments. "I'm keeping the baby, by the way." She blurted randomly.

Rhodey stopped short in sheer surprise, turning to look at her with wide eyes. For a second he couldn't get his mouth to work. Finally he worked out a reply. "You… really?" Joy started to grow inside of him. He wouldn't have to raise their daughter on his own! The baby could have a proper family as she grew!

"Yes. She's my daughter, and I will do anything for her."

Rhodey's heart seemed to swell with several emotions he couldn't quite identify. But they were all happy, he knew that. He could feel a genuine smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, and he gently took her hands in his own. "And you're the mother of my child- I would do anything for you. Don't forget that." He said honestly.

Wanda smiled and looked slightly guilty. "Does that include… making me a peanut butter and pickle sandwich… with carrots… and bacon?" She asked.

Rhodey grinned. "Of course it does."

She smiled, squeezing his hand appreciatively. "And pure orange juice to drink?" She added with a cheeky grin.

He chuckled and they resumed walking. "Anything, my very pregnant princess."

* * *

 **I hope you all have a fantastic Easter!**


	27. Couple Time

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello! I have run and hidden in my room to post this... but I can hear them. They are coming to get me! The dreaded... FAMILY!**

 **Happy Easter Sunday, everybody! To give you a taste of every sweet and lovely couple, here are our favourite four couples of this story!**

 **I hope you all have a fantastic day! If you're lucky like me, you'll be getting a roast dinner!**

 **Thank you everybody, for reading, following, faving, reviewing, PMing me, it's amazing! You're amazing!**

* * *

Wanda ran a hand over her expanded stomach; now that she was in the third trimester, she was really looking like a pregnant woman. The worst thing was not being able to reach her feet properly anymore- thankfully, nobody questioned her walking around in flip flops or slippers. "You are awfully active today," she told her baby, looking down at her stomach.

Rhodey stood in the doorway. "Knock knock," he called with a smile. In his arms were several books. "Can I come in?"

"Of course." Wanda replied with a smile. "She's moving a lot; want to feel?"

He didn't need to be asked twice. He set the books on the bed and placed both hands on her stomach, his smile growing to fantastic proportions when there was another kick. He had never passed up an opportunity to feel their daughter kick. "Wow, is she playing soccer in there?"

"Feels like it. She's going to be a sports girl, that's for sure." Wanda replied with a fond smile.

There was a peaceful silence for a few moments before he reluctantly broke away and picked up the books. "I think it's high time we started discussing baby names," he explained, displaying the three titles for her to choose from.

Wanda laughed, looking at the books briefly. "Wait, you don't like 'Wanda Jr.'?" She teased.

He laughed too. "While I would love having two Wandas in my life, it would get confusing when you both responded to the same name." He replied.

She nodded in agreement, accepting one of the books from him and opening it at a random page. "Where did you get these books from?" She questioned curiously.

"Pepper bought them a few weeks ago for when she and Tony have kids, but she let me borrow them." Rhodey answered, choosing one of the remaining books and flipping to a page in the 'girls' section. "By the way, she says you, her and Natasha are still due to go crib shopping." He added absentmindedly, eyes scanning over the page.

Wanda nodded, remembering that she had agreed. She placed her book down and looked at him seriously. It was strange that they were deciding names and casually talking about her going crib shopping, when she wasn't completely sure where they'd be living. She didn't want to stay at the compound to raise the child, as that didn't feel entirely safe- and that feeling only increased when she discovered how Steve and Natasha were going to raise their adopted child off-base too- when they actually adopted one, of course. "Rhodey… what are we going to do with her? I'm not sure if she can spend her whole childhood… here." She asked, looking uncertain. "Of course, right now, it's my only home. The crib can go in the corner, or I could move to a different room- there's one with a giant walk-in closet which will more than suffice as a bedroom for the baby… but, after a while, especially when she gets to an age of going to school- it can't be here."

"I agree," Rhodey replied, looking up from the book. "Don't worry, though- Tony's been pressuring me to let him build us a house for days, says we could start our own Avengers neighbourhood next to Nat and Steve's house. I was actually going to ask your thoughts on it later."

She shook her head, looking down slightly. "I don't want Stark's help; he is still the reason my parents died. Whether or not his bomb was intended to be used in that way." She replied solemnly.

Rhodey sighed. "Wanda… Tony's my best friend. I trust him with my life- even if he is a pain in the ass ninety percent of the time." He chuckled fondly. "I know it's not possible to erase the kind of trauma you went through, and that's okay. But could you trust me? I trust him, so that's gotta mean something, right?"

"I do not want to live in a house made by Stark." Wanda reiterated before sighing herself. She started aimlessly flicking through one of the name books again; there was a time that she believed she'd raise a family back in Sokovia- but that place didn't exist anymore. "I'd rather a more traditional home, in a village, where our daughter, little… Rachel, Rebecca, Renee, Rose, Roxanne… can feel at home."

Rhodey smiled a little and turned back to his own book. "Our little Chrysanthemum would feel at home wherever we make a home." He pointed out. "But I see your point. I'm not sure there are _villages_ in America, though, but would a small town do? I'm sure Cassandra wouldn't mind."

"Gabrielle would like that," Wanda replied with a smile.

The flipping of pages was the only noise between them for a few minutes before Rhodey snorted and showed her an entry in his book. "When it comes to 'K' names, there's so much variety. Which do you like better: Katelyn, Kaitlinn, Kaitlyn, Katelynn, or Kaitlin?"

Wanda laughed. "I didn't know one name could have so many spellings- that's very American."

Rhodey chuckled and flipped back to the 'C's. "Fear not, there are other options: Caitlyn, Caitlin, Cate Linn, Catelynn… Doesn't sound like a word anymore." He commented with a grin.

"How about we skip that particular name," Wanda suggested. "I'm sure Evalina wouldn't mind not having one of those many spellings of her name."

He paused. "I actually really like that one!" He pulled out a slip of paper and wrote on it. "Let's add it to our top five list." Then he went back to the book. "Oh, here's a pretty one- Samantha. What do you think?"

Wanda shook her head, dismissing that option. "I think Evalina is my favourite at the moment- although, Talia? I really like Talia too."

Rhodey jotted that idea down too. "Michaela, which can also be spelt in more than one way." He laughed.

She laughed with him; it seemed like most names could be spelt multiple different ways. She supposed it was a way for the parents to make their child's name unique. "I like Michaela." She looked down at her belly once again. "What do you think, angel? Are you a Michaela?" She asked rhetorically, receiving no answer.

"Mary, Margaret, Madison, Mia, Maya," Rhodey continued listing and Wanda was no longer sure if he actually liked the names or not.

"Rhodey, how about we each list five names we like. I think I want to see her first; then we'll just know." Wanda suggested.

Rhodey nodded in agreement. "Good idea." He put his hand on her belly affectionately before returning to the book. "What about middle names? Lee? Marie? Sofia?"

Wanda laughed at his eagerness of naming her. "Maybe something a little more personal- what's your mother's first name?"

It was obvious her question had surprised him, but he did also appear to hesitate slightly. "Roberta." He answered.

Before she was able to stop herself, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "Roberta? Can I pretend I didn't ask?" She asked awkwardly; the tension thankfully disappeared when he laughed.

"Don't worry, she hated the name, too. What about your mom? What was her name?" Rhodey asked.

"Magda"

"I like it." Rhodey responded, almost as if he had already planned his response before she had given her answer. "I think that's the perfect middle name for our daughter."

Wanda smiled at him and couldn't stop herself from leaning closer and kissing him. He responded softly before they parted- they both knew it was just an 'in the moment' situation, but that didn't make it mean any less.

* * *

Bucky hummed a catchy little tune as he pulled open one of his drawers and neatly put his folded shirts inside, repeating the process with his pants in the drawer below it. It was his laundry day, and his bed was covered in freshly-cleaned, pristinely-folded clothing that Tony's worker 'bots had made supernaturally quick work of. It was times like these when he realised that he had way more clothing than he'd thought- and certainly much more than he'd ever owned before. He didn't even recall buying most of these clothes, and some looked completely foreign to him, but he figured Stark probably updated everyone's wardrobes every few months or so- why not, when the man had so much money? The only thing that made him pause was the secondary realisation that whoever was buying these clothes knew exactly what his measurements were; all of the newer garments fit him as though they'd been made specifically for him. How had they gotten said measurements?

He shuddered and decided to chalk it up to Stark being the eccentric mastermind that he was, leaving it at that. After all of his pants had been put away, Bucky grabbed his tuxedo jacket and went over to the closet to hang it; when he ducked back out of the closet, he jumped in surprise, hand automatically going for a nonexistent weapon in a holster that was no longer there. Maria was right there, and he hadn't seen or heard any signs of her entry.

"Why are your clothes laid out on your bed?" She asked him teasingly.

Quickly trying to calm his racing heart and frantic breaths, Bucky simply said, "Laundry day." To cover up the fact that she had completely and utterly caught him off guard- something that certainly wasn't easy- he crossed over to the bed and picked up the last of the folded clothes, mostly socks and underwear, and put them in their respective sides of his top drawer. Then he turned back to her. "What brings you here unannounced? Not that I don't love it, but…"

"If you want, I can leave." Maria suggested, stepping towards the door. "I don't want to interrupt laundry day."

He was quick to intercept her, blocking the doorway. "No way! You just got here- laundry's done, anyways." He gestured to the empty bed.

Maria smiled smugly at him. "As you wish."

He looked up slightly in confusion. "What happened to your hair?" He asked, noticing that it was shimmering… purple? At first glance, he'd sworn it was still her usual brown.

"Just dyed it a little at the last girls night." She replied before using the advantage of him standing directly in front her and practically pouncing on him, her lips instantly connecting with his.

Bucky quickly turned and stumbled backwards so they landed on the bed with a laugh as he returned the kiss- He presumed that meant their conversation about her hair was over.

* * *

Tony smiled. "Alright, I'll be sure to tell her. Thanks, Rhodey. Congrats." He hung up and carelessly tossed his phone so it landed on a couch cushion a few feet away with a sigh. It was getting almost crowded with all the baby talk going around lately. He didn't bother moving- it had been a long day and he was dead tired. "Pepper!" He called. He hadn't seen his wife all day and was looking forward to spending some down time together.

"What is it, Tony?" She called back from the bathroom. Damn, why wouldn't she just leave that bathroom already? What was she doing in there? The door was open, so she wasn't using the facilities.

"It's a girl!" Tony replied.

Pepper squealed a little in excitement, sticking her head through the doorway. "The baby? That's great! Named after me, I'm sure." Then she ducked back into the bathroom, making him groan in frustration.

Then he snorted. "If anything, it would be little Antoinette."

"There is no way they'll be naming their daughter Antoinette, _Anthony_." She laughed. "Ow!" She suddenly hissed.

Tony was off of the couch in seconds, sprinting for the bathroom. "What is it?" He demanded upon seeing her cradling her hand to her chest. He put both hands on her shoulders. "What happened? Did something fall on you? Are you concussed?"

Pepper almost laughed. "Nothing that dramatic, Tony. I just cut my hand on the glass- it's broken." She pointed to the glass, which was half broken on the counter.

"How'd you manage that?" Tony teased, alarm fading away. "And how did you break a glass without me hearing and rushing to the rescue?"

"It was already broken- must have done it this morning when I rushed out for that meeting _you_ made me late for." Pepper teased accusingly. She looked down at her hand, frowning. "Usually you're the one getting injured."

Tony laughed a little. "I dunno, while it sucks that you got hurt, it _is_ nice to not be the injured one for once." He examined the wound a little closer. "Does it still hurt?"

She nodded. "Unfortunately. Grab the first-aid kit."

"On it." He grabbed the kit and opened it, sorting through the extensive bandage supply and finding one of the correct size, plus a small bottle of antiseptic. "Here, rinse that off and dry it." He turned on the faucet for her.

Pepper followed his instructions, although she did pull her hand back once or twice. "Next time there's broken glass, you're picking it up." She winced, placing her hand against the towel to dry it.

"You got that right." Tony murmured as he applied a liberal amount of antiseptic cream to the wound and carefully wrapped the bandage around her hand. "There we go! Good as new!" He said cheerily. "I guess I'm now a professional at fixing machines _and_ humans!"

"Great, as if your head couldn't get any bigger." Pepper rolled her eyes. "But thank you." She replied gratefully, kissing his cheek and then proceeded to pick up the rest of the glass.

He watched her for a second before kneeling down and sweeping up the smaller shards into his palm. "I'll have one of the cleaner 'droids vacuum up the remaining bits later." He said, leading her back to the living room. "Now, I believe you owe me about two and a half hours of attention after I just spent so much time giving it to you." He joked with a crooked smile.

"Usually I'm the one trying to get _your_ attention. You have no right to demand my time now," she teased, practically telling him off. "But I just happen to have a few minutes spare."

Tony chuckled and kissed her. "I'll take what I can get."

* * *

Steve was lazily flipping through a book that was supposed to be full of great advice for future adoptive parents- he'd found out by the third page, however, that it was just like any other book of advice, having nothing to make it anything special, full of generic statements and little detail when detail was sorely needed. Still, he had nothing better to do, so he continued scanning the paragraphs, bored.

Natasha walked into the room, gracing him with a glance. "Hey, I thought you'd be training?" She questioned lightly, stopping whatever she had been planning to do to look at him from the base of the bed.

He sighed. "I had the brilliant idea to take a day off from training- only now I have nothing worthwhile to spend all this extra time on." He bemoaned, shutting the book and dropping it onto the bed next to him. "What about you?"

"Just finished giving Rhodey an extra training session. With Wanda not training, and Bucky spending time with Maria right now, I thought I'd focus on him and Vision." Natasha answered. "But he needed a break- too physically tired- so the both of them are working together- Rhodey teaching Vision how to blend in and naavigate social interactions, and Vision teaching Rhodey a new language."

He blinked. "Wow… what about Sam?"

"He asked for the day off to fix up a motorbike and the cars. Vision was helping him at one point." Natasha answered.

"Does Vision even know _how_ to fix the cars up?" Steve asked, scooting over to make room for her to sit beside him. "Nevermind, doesn't matter."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Vision's brain is the internet; he knows _everything_." She replied before sliding on the bed beside him. "But, this does mean that we are alone right now. Just the two of us." She hinted, sliding her fingers lightly over his chest.

"That sounds promising." Steve commented with a smile, pulling her into his arms. "But what exactly should we do with our alone time?" He asked, smirking.

Sliding closer, so she was nearly on his lap, she muttered, "I have an idea." Her lips connected with his neck.

Steve's grip tightened around her as he pulled her impossibly closer-

 _Knock knock_. "Hey, uh, Steve? You busy?" Sam called through the door. Steve groaned in frustration.

"Yes, actually, I am!" He called back.

"Oh, uh… I really need your help, Steve. Vision accidentally crushed the exhaust and now the fuel tank is smoking, and I think it might catch fire…" Steve groaned again.

"Use your brain and sort it out yourself!" Natasha called, almost growling at him through the door.

"I tried, and Vision tried Googling it, but when I tried to cool it down one of the tires started steaming, and I think something is seriously wrong, and-"

" _Alright!_ " Steve snapped. He glanced at Natasha apologetically. "Guess I gotta go save the day. Rain check?"

Natasha slid off his lap. "Nope. I'm taking a shower." She strutted away from him and into the bathroom, locking it behind her.

* * *

Maria slipped on Bucky's previously worn shirt, silently praising herself for buying it for him last week. "I have to head to France later this week. Even though I know French, I only end up saying 'merci' to every-"

She was cut off when a cold metal arm was suddenly locked around her throat, squeezing her airway painfully. Bucky was breathing heavily and sounded… scared? "I can't make it stop!" He cried, flesh arm pulling uselessly on the metallic hand that had a vice grip on the back of her neck.

Trying to get a breath in, she tried reaching for her weapon, mentally cursing herself when it wasn't even in the room. Maria forced her elbow back into his ribs, forcing him to step back, before grabbing his metal arm and throwing him over her shoulder. Her throat was released as he landed- mostly- unharmed on the bed.

Bucky stared up at her, horror on his face as the arm twitched, then fell still on the covers. "Maria…" He whispered, voice seeming to fail. He was as white as the sheets below him. "I-I…"

Maria raised one hand to stop him, the other tenderly over her neck. "Don't." She forced out, her voice hoarse. Her chest was heaving up and down, but she was still struggling to breathe properly. After a few long seconds, she spoke again, her voice sounding even weaker, but the tone was deadly. "What happened?" There was no accusation in her voice, but that didn't make her any less angry.

He seemed to flinch away from her as he slowly pulled himself into a sitting position- cautiously testing the arm, which appeared to have stopped working. Once upright, he looked to her again. "I-I don't know… It… It just got a mind of its own… It wasn't listening to my brain." He said between panting breaths. "I'm so sorry."

"I have to go." Maria decided. She grabbed her clothes and bag and left the room- not even caring that she was _just_ in a shirt.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **My family have realised I'm missing! Uh oh! Bye! Review if you have time :D**


	28. Visiting new places

**Author's Note:**

 **Okay guys, so not only has this story received the most reviews than any other story of mine, but as of last chapter, it is also the longest story I have posted! Now we are hitting chapter 28, it is equal chapters with 'Age of Kristina', and as this is not the last chapter of the story- that personal record will be changed to this story too!**

 **So, thank you ALL, for helping me achieve that! Honestly, this story would have not even made it past being 'undercover as Steve's girlfriend' without you all.**

 **This chapter is pretty long, that's really the only thanks I can give you all at the moment!**

* * *

Natasha pulled her hair out of the hair tie. She had lasted four minutes with it tied up out of her face and decided that she still hated her hair restrained. As she rounded the corner, she noticed Maria disappear into the hangar and followed her. "That was a quick stop." She commented.

When Maria halted, stopping just before disappearing into the quinjet, Natasha knew something was wrong. She supposed Maria rushing around in just a shirt should have been a hint, but that could have also meant she had been having a really good time. "Romanoff…"

Now Natasha knew something was wrong. "What's going on, Hill." She demanded, joining her on the edge of the quinjet.

Maria grabbed a small open bag, revealing at least one weapon and turned around to face her, the nasty bruises evident on her neck- and they were recent too. "Bucky lost control." She revealed, her voice raspy and painful.

Natasha reached up, pulling Maria's arms down and away from her neck, her clothes falling to the ground mostly unrestrained. "I'm going to kill him." She growled.

"No!" Maria's hand grabbed Natasha's arm. "It wasn't him, per say, it was his arm. It just went off. It wasn't him."

"Hill."

"Romanoff. It _wasn't_ him." She repeated. "I just came to get my ICER, I can deal with this."

Pulling out of the other womans hold, Natasha bent down and picked up her clothes. "Get dressed, we are going to sort this out, together."

Maria sighed and accepted the clothes. "There's nothing to sort out."

Natasha and Maria were almost cut from the same cloth, one thing they had in common, was they _hated_ anybody seeing them vulnerable. "Yes there is. We need to bring Steve in on this too."

With another reluctant sigh, Maria nodded.

* * *

Steve sighed and wiped his hands on a greasy rag in a futile attempt to clean them. "How's it looking down there, Sam?" He called. Sam rolled out from under the car and dropped a handful of oily tools on the concrete.

"The radiator is still jammed, but I might be able to get it going." He reported, rifling through the toolbox before retreating back under the car. After yet another failed attempt to fix the radiator, Sam groaned, making Steve laugh a little.

"They say that percussive maintenance is sometimes the best fix." He joked.

"I'm pretty tempted to use 'percussive maintenance' right now." Sam grumped. "This thing just… won't… work!" With a huff, Sam rolled out from under the vehicle and stood, accepting the bottled water Steve handed him. "I swear this car is more trouble than it's worth."

"Steve." Natasha's voice appeared from the other side of the garage. "Can I borrow you for a moment?"

Steve sighed again. "What is it, Nat?" He asked tiredly. "I'm really busy right now."

"It's important- there's an issue." Natasha replied in a bland and closed-off tone.

"Okay, but can it wait a few minutes? I really am busy." Steve argued. Sam was watching the two somewhat suspiciously as he wiped off the greasy tools.

"Steve. Get off your fucking arse and come here _now_!" Natasha demanded harshly.

Steve jumped to his feet at her demand. "Okay, okay, jeez." He went to her side and then followed her down the hall.

Natasha walked straight back over to Maria, who was wearing a scarf inside. "There's an issue with Bucky, and we believe you should be involved in the process."

"What kind of an issue?" Steve asked worriedly. Had Bucky been tracked down? Was he hurt?

"There was a moment where he lost control of his metal arm- but I told Natasha that I had it sorted." Maria replied simply.

"Lost control? What happened?" Now Steve was really getting worried- the fact that neither of them had told him outright meant that something terrible must have happened.

Natasha swiftly pulled the scarf from Maria, revealing the increasingly worsening bruises around her neck, the distinctive fingerprints. "Attempted murder."

Maria yanked the scarf back, but didn't attempt to cover up her neck. "It was just a bit of strangulation- if he had wanted to kill me, I'm sure it would have been more creative."

Steve felt all colour drain from his face as he stared at the two of them in disbelief. "He _strangled_ you?"

"Strangled would have implied he was successful with the movements- as you can see, I am still breathing." Maria pointed out, gently wrapping the scarf back around her neck as she stepped down the corridor. "Now, if you excuse me, I just left him in his room."

"Hang on, Maria." Steve called, halting her. "Why don't I come with you? I should have a talk with him." It went unspoken that he also wanted to ensure that a similar incident didn't happen again.

She shrugged, waving one hand. "Keep up, then." She called back.

"Sort it out, we can't have Bucky losing control right now." Natasha emphasised before walking in the opposite direction.

Steve hurried to catch up with Maria, walking beside her as they made their way to Bucky's room. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine. You?" Maria replied, throwing him a glance.

"I'm not the one who just got strangled." Steve pointed out with a crooked but forced smile. "But for the sake of conversation, yes, I'm good."

Maria offered him a smile. "Don't worry about me; I can take care of myself. I don't need rescuing from Bucky- he's not a threat."

"I know that. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be cautious- and it doesn't mean nobody can worry about you." Steve replied. They finally found themselves outside of Bucky's room. With a calming breath, Steve lifted one fist and knocked. There was no answer.

Maria slipped past him and walked straight into the room. "Bucky?"

"Buck?" Steve called as he followed her in. The room was dark, with the curtains drawn tightly shut. "Are you in here?"

"Yeah." Bucky's voice came from the corner.

Maria didn't hesitate to approach him. "What are you doing in the corner? Come on." She offered him her hands to help him up.

"Stay back, Maria." Bucky all but scolded, though what little was visible of his face through his hair was full of regret. "I don't want to risk that happening again."

She knelt down in front of him, flicking his hair out of his face and tucking a finger under his chin. "Look at me. It's alright. I know it wasn't you- let's sort this out." One hand was held out, ready to pull him up, the other still on his chin, making him look at her.

After a few moments of thought, Bucky finally shakily nodded and carefully reached out his flesh hand to grasp hers. "A-alright." He conceded.

Steve watched the pair from off to the side, feeling slightly awkward- he couldn't leave yet, but he didn't think it would be appreciated if he interrupted their moment. So he basically just stood there.

"But if this thing," Bucky gestured to his metal arm, "so much as twitches, I want you to get away as fast as you can. Okay?" There was something slightly desperate in his tone.

"No promises." Maria replied with determination, a stubborn half smile on her face. Her hand was intertwined with his flesh one before she looked at Steve. "Romanoff and Rogers decided to involve themselves, just so you know."

"Oh, hey, Steve." Bucky commented, apparently only then noticing that Steve was still there.

"Hey, Buck." Steve replied, stepping toward the two who were now sitting on the edge of the bed. He decided to get straight to business. "What happened?"

Maria turned her attention back to Bucky.

Bucky sighed and fidgeted a little. "I'm not sure… We were just talking, and it suddenly jerked forward and grabbed her, and no matter how much I pulled on it or willed it to stop, it just didn't respond." He sounded slightly shaken.

"When I threw him from me, it seemed to stop. But I don't know what could have triggered it; we were just talking." Maria added, very composed.

Steve hummed in thought. "What were you talking about?" He asked.

"I'm heading to France, and I was just informing him about that." Maria answered.

And suddenly it occurred to him. Steve turned to Bucky. "Bucky, did HYDRA ever program your arm to respond to code words?"

Bucky seemed thrown off by the sudden mention of his time as the Winter Soldier, but shook his head. "I wouldn't really know… I can't remember too much about what orders they gave me or what was said when they did, and I'd assume those code words would be mentioned then. It's possible."

"So Maria or you could have said a code word without realising it. Maybe a code word for 'attack'?"

Bucky and Maria shared a look. She pulled a thoughtful look before looking at his arm skeptically. "I'm heading to France next week, and I know French. What else did I say? I don't usually speak French when I am there, as everybody knows English. It's usually greetings, so, Bonjour; goodbyes, so, Au Revoir; thank yous, so, Merci-"

The response was instantaneous- the previously lifeless metal limb launched itself at her throat. Steve jumped into action and grabbed onto the arm, pulling it away from Maria as she rolled away just as quickly. Bucky's eyes were wide and his free arm joined Steve's in restraining the traitorous arm until it finally grew still again.

"I guess that answers _that_ question." Steve commented. "So 'me-'" He cut off. "The French word for 'thank you' is the code word, then."

"HYDRA is really against manners." Maria quipped. "What are we going to do about it? Apart from keep Bucky away from anybody ready to give up, or who speaks French? We don't know if there are any other trigger words- and I'd rather not be attacked mid-makeout-session."

Damn it, Steve did not need nor want that imagery. "I think we should call in Stark. Maybe he can disable it."

Maria nodded. "Okay. I'll call Stark and explain it all to him. You and Natasha need to make sure you are ready for your meetings tomorrow- if I remember correctly, you're going to four different orphanages, right?"

Steve felt his expression soften. "Yeah, we are." There weren't very many orphanages left in the US these days, so it would take quite a bit of travelling for them to get to each.

Bucky offered a genuine smile, the first positivity he'd shown during the entire conversation. "Exciting! Good luck."

Steve nodded his thanks. He turned to Maria. "Can you hold down the fort, then? Stark's busy right now, so he might be hesitant to come."

"Don't worry, I've been controlling Tony without him knowing for years now." Maria said, sliding her phone out of her pocket as she walked towards the door. Her phone touched her ear a few seconds before she spoke and walked out of the room. "Pepper, it's Maria- I need your help."

Steve shot Bucky an amused glance. "Hang in there, Bucky." He said, moving to stand by his friend and placing a hand on his shoulder. Bucky nodded appreciatively but his gaze was somewhat distant. "You gonna be okay?"

Another nod. "Yeah, I think so."

"Well, if anything happens when I'm not here, be sure to call me and I'll come to the rescue." Steve added, half-jokingly and half-seriously. Bucky gave a noncommittal laugh.

Maria walked back in. "Stark will be here first thing in the morning; he's going to do some research before he comes." She informed them. She pointed to the door. "Goodbye, Steve."

"Alright, alright." Steve conceded with a chuckle, making his way to the door. "If you need anything…"

"We'll give you a shout. Goodbye, now."

"And stop being such a worrywart!"

"Get some rest." Steve added before walking out of the room.

* * *

Natasha tugged the cardigan down slightly; why did she let Maria convince her to wear suburban-wife clothing? Right now she didn't care how 'normal' or 'friendly' it made her look- they were not her. She made note to look at her watch. "We're early." She informed him. "But not too early."

Steve laughed. "I should have known that you only operate in varying degrees of 'early'." He teased, putting an arm around her shoulders casually as they walked down the hallway.

"Welcome to Name orphanage! You must be the… Kenns?" A smiling man greeted them.

"No, we are the… Rogers and Romanoffs."

"Of course you are! Welcome! I'm Barry Lumpert. Please, come on through and meet the children." He offered, leading them down into the playroom where there were ten children of different ages.

"They're so… small." Steve commented as he eyed the children- no matter the age differences between them, they all seemed overly tiny for six-through-ten-year-olds. A little blonde girl looked up from her blocks, gave them a startled look, then returned to her play.

Natasha looked at him. "They're so breakable." She commented. "What do we do?" She asked him.

"Um… He said we could meet with them, so why don't we try talking to them?" Steve answered, sounding unsure himself. He took a few steps forward and knelt by a little boy with light brown hair and big brown eyes. "Hello! I'm Steve, and this is Natasha. What's your name?" He asked with a cheery voice.

"Dalton…" The boy answered shyly, hiding behind his stuffed elephant slightly.

Natasha recognised the scared and shy look in the boy's eyes and knelt down, too. "Hello, Dalton. That's a very nice elephant."

"Th'ks." Dalton muttered, not making any move to get closer to them or open up his defensive posture. Steve extended a hand.

"It's nice to meet you." He said kindly. When Dalton didn't acknowledge the gesture, Steve dropped his hand, looking a bit awkward and slightly put out. "So what do you like to do, Dalton?" He asked patiently.

"Uh… Play racecars, I guess." Dalton replied.

Natasha smiled softly at the young boy. "Very nice."

Dalton didn't seem receptive to their attempts at being less intimidating, however, because he stood up, elephant clutched to his chest. "I-I'm gonna go play with Rosie." He said hurriedly and sauntered away. Steve sighed.

"Well, that didn't go very well. What, do I smell bad or something?"

She smirked slightly at him. "No. I think two grown adults approaching one child might be a tad intimidating. Maybe we should split up?" She suggested.

"Good idea." Steve agreed. He got to his feet and offered her a hand. She accepted his hand and stood up.

"Don't go too far- I might need your help." Natasha muttered before stepping away from him, taking a breath as she approached one of the older children in the room.

* * *

Steve watched patiently as a little girl ruffled through the toy chest in search of some toy she'd insisted he look at. She was maybe seven years old, with curly black hair and bright blue eyes. She was the first child, out of the many they'd talked to so far, who had approached him unprovoked- Natasha was usually a favorite with the children, considering she was a woman and he was a rather tall man that could be intimidating upon first impressions. She had walked up, grabbed his sleeve and pulled him to the corner of the large playroom, past several groups of other children, saying simply, "Come look at this!"

"Whatcha got there?" He asked with gentle enthusiasm as she emerged from the chest with a large teddy bear clutched in her arms.

"Mister Kyle! He's really nice!" The girl exclaimed, hugging the stuffed animal closer. "Wanna hold him?"

Steve took the bear with a smile. "What's your name? I'm Steve." He introduced. She offered a gap-toothed smile.

"I'm Selina." She extended a tiny hand for him to shake, making him chuckle. He shook her hand.

"Very nice to meet you, Selina." They had a small, rather simple conversation for a few more minutes before she stood, adjusted her frilly little skirt, and took Mister Kyle back into her arms.

"I-I have to go now." She said regretfully. "If I don't get my seat at the lunch table, Justin will steal it." Steve nodded understandingly and stood as well.

"It was great talking with you, Selina!" He called after her as she, and a few others in her age group, marched through the far door that presumably led to the cafeteria. She turned, waved at him, and was gone. Steve sighed and rejoined Natasha.

* * *

Natasha smiled at the young boy, six years old. "I can show you my room!" He told her eagerly. "I share it with Mike!"

Natasha laughed gently when he took her hand and tried to pull her.

"Frankie, you know you can't just take random people upstairs." One of the adults reminded him. There was a rule that none of the children were allowed to be left unattended with a potential parent, and she understood the reasons.

At the young boys pout, she poked his stomach lightly. "Thank you for offering, Mike. But, I'm happy down here."

Mike nodded and gasped. "They're more sandwiches!" He exclaimed, running off.

Natasha stood back to her full height. "He's delightful, definitely has a lot of energy." She observed, watching him for a few more moments.

"Yes, he'll be seven next month." The lady told her, before listing a series of common interests; pets, food, sports.

Usually, Natasha would listen intently, this was the fifth lace they had visited and she wanted to memorise every child. But, from the corner of her eye, she saw something not quite right. Within seconds she located the problem, a male in his thirties was standing an inch too close to one of the older teens. Her eyes almost narrowed when his hand rested too low on her side- but she knew that others wouldn't see what she saw, wouldn't see the way the young girl tensed and tried to step away without setting off the older male. She knew that look way too much. "Excuse me." She muttered in politeness before walking towards them.

They both looked up at her as she approached, his smile was almost charming, hers was timid and hopeful. "Hello, I'm John; this is Chloe." He introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Chloe." Natasha said, accepting her hand to shake and subtle pulling her away from John- but his grip tightened ever so slightly, most people wouldn't realise.

"Are you considering adopting an older child like Chloe?" He asked. Natasha wasn't sure if she was imagining the possessive look in his eye, or not. "She has some great qualities- for her age. Her baking is great, a lot better than her cooking, anyway."

The way he was speaking, almost kind, but his words were mixed. He insulted her through the compliments, and she saw straight through his charade. "Chloe, can I talk to you alone for a moment?" She asked politely. The girl nodded instantly, stepping away from John.

However, she barely finished a step, when his grip visually strengthened and he tugged her back to his side- he knew she was onto him. His response actually had one of two people look, but their attention didn't linger. "Sorry, we don't allow guests to be alone with the…" a smirk appeared on his face for the smallest of seconds, "...the children."

"How about you release her." Natasha suggested calmly.

"How about you mind your own business, lady." John whispered to her rudely.

Natasha frowned, and in one quick, fluid movement grabbed his wrist, pulling it away from the girl and twisting it. She felt the snap of his wrist and then arm as she continued twisting. His cry of help was loud and pitiful in her opinion and he crumbled to the ground away from her when she released him, merely a second after grabbing him. Turning to the stunned girl, her face remained soft and composed. "Are you okay?"

"Nat! What happened?" Steve questioned as he rushed over,

At Chloe's quick nod, Natasha turned to Steve. "He was too handsy."

Steve paled before a scowl appeared on his face and he turned to the man still on the ground. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He demanded angrily. He turned back to Natasha. "How handsy did he get? Enough to press charges?"

Natasha shrugged. "I didn't have chance for an interrogation. Chloe, enough to press charges?"

Chloe simply stared at the dumbfounded and remained silent, the fear in her eyes. Although, Natasha was sure that the fear wasn't directed at her or Steve.

Steve looked at Chloe as though just seeing her. "Wait, he was touching _you_?" His face began to get red, though for once it wasn't the usual embarrassment that came with him being gentlemanly Steve. It was anger. "I thought you meant _you_ , Nat…"

"I don't care if somebody tries to touch me, Steve." Natasha replied. "Seriously, priorities."

Steve inhaled and let it out slowly, shooting John a glare before turning back to Chloe. Upon seeing the fear still on her face, his own features noticeably softened. "I'm so sorry. Does he do that to you often?" His voice was full of forced calm, but the tenseness could be heard quite clearly.

Natasha refrained from rolling her eyes at him attempting to get answers out of Chloe here. She knew all too well that it would be impossible whilst John was anywhere in sight. "Steve, how about you call Pepper, she has some friends that can help, just explain what is going on." She ordered before stepping forward and physically pulling John up.

"On it." Steve replied, pulling out his phone to do as instructed.

"I can take care of myself, you know." Chloe muttered under her breath.

Natasha looked at her, in a lot of ways, she recognised herself- broken on the inside with nobody to trust. She was still young when she met Clint, but not as young as Chloe- there was still a chance this young lady would be able to have a decent and happy life. "But you don't have to." She indicated to the chairs which were set out. "I'll help you through this."

Chloe sat down as instructed, but shrugged. "If I file a report, they'll just move me again. I like this school better than the last, and this place isn't that bad."

"You can't let this go on, if he's doing it to you, then-"

"That's not my problem. I'll age out in three years, anyway. Then he can't touch me." Chloe interrupted. Although her expression and tone of voice didn't match her words.

Natasha reached out and took her hand, "Chloe. Look around you, you know better than most how vulnerable children are who are in the system. By speaking up, you could help countless children."

The teenager sighed, but bobbed her head slightly. "Maybe the next place will be close to a library."

Natasha smiled softly. "If not, I'll buy you a few books."

Chloe smiled at her. "Deal."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! Reviews, suggestions and constructive criticisms are all welcome!**


	29. He's taking a nap

**Author's Note:**

 **Did any of you do any good tricks for April Fools? I once again, failed. But then thought of ideas- typical.**

 **Thank you to my 145! Followers! On this story! That's incredible!**

 **And the 76! favs on this story! Woah! Incredible! :D**

 **And of course, the reviewers, they are soaring! Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter, a little shout out to you: Princess2016; Amy Hamato; LilyRose14; Javie-1998 (twice!); Moustache1234; supesfan18; RomanogerLaucifer; TheJollyRoger; Sportsfan64; Guest; DENM (Once again, sorry for making you panic :P).**

* * *

Bucky held up his metal arm and looked at it scrutinisingly, wondering why this had to be happening to him of all people. Sighing, he leant back on his bed, waiting impatiently for Tony to arrive so he could help fix this mess. He closed his eyes, listening to the shuffling beside him as Maria paced the length of the room. "Any word from Stark?" He asked.

"He said he was almost here an hour ago, which means that's when he left. He should be here soon." Maria responded, not halting her pacing.

"I hope so." Bucky commented tiredly. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and it was really pulling on the corners of his consciousness now.

Tony strutted into the room. "I've been waiting for you both in the lab. I don't make… bedroom visits." He turned away to walk straight back out, muttering, "Not anymore, anyway."

Maria rolled her eyes.

Grunting, Bucky got to his feet, his flesh arm automatically going to grip his metal arm as though that would somehow prevent it from acting up again. "You could've told us you were in the lab, you know." He complained, although Tony was already out the door. He hurried to catch up, Maria right beside him.

"Where's the fun in that?" Tony questioned carelessly before walking back to the lab, which seemed to be reserved for him. It looked like he _had,_ in fact, been to the lab to drop off a few things, which included one of his Iron Man suits standing to one side. He picked up a few items only to lay them down as Maria sat on one of the chairs in the room.

"So… do you think you could fix my arm?" Bucky asked, making his way over to Tony. "I don't think we ever got the chance to clarify that."

Tony smirked up at him. "I'm good, but even then I need to look at your arm. Want to remind me exactly what's wrong with it? Squeaking?"

Bucky shared a look with Maria before staring at him incredulously. "My arm tried to _strangle_ Maria!" He snapped. "How does one forget being told _that_?" He took a deep breath to calm himself down. Tony was busy, so he probably forgot things like that all the time. What mattered was that he was here to fix the problem now.

Tony was obviously not amused with Bucky's outburst and handed him a gas canister. "If you think you, or your arm, are losing control, breathe this in and it'll knock you out." He held out his hand and after a second his Iron Man hand engulfed his own before he turned his attention to Bucky. "Did you want to sit? Or stand?"

"I'll sit, I think." Bucky replied, not wanting to have to knock himself out and _then_ collapse to the floor and be feeling _those_ bruises later. He took a seat on one of the hard plastic chairs and held out his arm for Tony to better examine. "It was reacting to a codeword that we think HYDRA programmed into it." He informed.

"What code word?" Tony asked as he pulled a table closer to Bucky so that his arm could rest on it. "So this is a reprogramming thing?"

"Uh…" How was Bucky supposed to tell him the codeword without activating the strangulation programming? He sent Maria a pleading look. "Could you, like… whisper it, or something? I really don't want it acting up again." His voice was full of exhaustion, he could tell.

Maria slipped out her phone, and as she put it down, Tony picked his up and nodded. His Iron Man hand rested on the top of the metal arm, holding it in place as he tried to pry it open. "Ah… What is this made out of?" He questioned, picking up a different tool.

Bucky smiled sheepishly. "I'm not quite sure." He admitted.

"That's helpful." Tony muttered as he stepped away before attaching a few screens over the arm. "JARVIS, scan this for me."

"Yes, Sir." His computer responded.

Maria raised an eyebrow. "You brought JARVIS with you? We've already got one person with his voice here- Vision. Why not just use him?"

"Not the same."

"So insensitive, Maria." Bucky teased halfheartedly. He watched with interest as JARVIS scanned over the arm one way, then in the opposite direction, then from underneath- somehow.

"Don't side with him, Buck. That won't go well for you." Maria commented.

"Sorry." He replied quickly, not wanting to risk his life- Maria could be as scary as Natasha. "So, um, how's it all looking?" He asked Tony, who was examining what looked to be the results of the scan.

Tony flicked through several images. "I would explain what I'm seeing, but you wouldn't understand." He replied slightly cockily.

"Stark." Maria warned.

With a swift smirk, Tony brought up a 3D image. "The shadowed areas are what we are unable to scan due to the metal. JARVIS is still running some tests, though, so we should be able to combat that. There are several triggers, sensors and components which have caused the reaction you two experienced. That will all be useless until I can get into his arm."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Bucky asked worriedly. He might not have ever liked the mechanical arm itself, but being without it would be a serious handicap. If Tony ripped it apart in his efforts to get inside of it and couldn't put it back together, what could Bucky do? Go back to HYDRA and kindly ask them to fix it?

"It's physically joined to your shoulder, and it appears you'd die if we simply ripped it off. For fear of my life…" he glanced at Maria. "...we'll avoid doing that. But I can get into it; there's no metal too strong for me."

"Sir, it appears that Mr. Barnes's arm is made from Vibranium."

"We're doomed."

Bucky groaned. "Vibranium? Isn't that what Steve's shield is made of?" They were so screwed.

"Yeah. Let me analyse the images and see… actually." Tony took a step back. "JARVIS, analyse response."

"Certainly, Sir."

"Mercy."

Bucky barely had time to make an exclamation of horror before his mechanical arm came to life and launched itself at Tony's throat. He hurriedly braced his feet on the ground and tried to pull it away from the man. "Are you insane?" He cried, trying to restrain the thrashing limb.

"Yes." Tony replied, his Iron Man hand holding the metal arm as his other picked up the cannister and released the gas, holding it towards Bucky.

Maria jumped up at that, but didn't approach.

Unfortunately, Bucky saw no other alternative, so he reluctantly breathed the gas in until his head began to spin and his legs began to feel numb. His arm fell limply to his side moments before he fell to the ground, the last thing he saw being Tony's feet stepping toward him.

* * *

Steve was slightly surprised to find total quiet in Tony's lab when he entered later that day. He'd promised Bucky he would check in for an update on how things were going when he got back from the orphanage visits. He located Tony working silently at one of the desks, a holographic display in front of him. "Stark," He called to catch the other man's attention."Where's Bucky?" He looked around the room for his friend, but saw no sign of him or Maria.

"He's taking a nap." Tony replied simply, barely glancing up at him. "Find a kid you want yet?"

"We're still discussing." Steve answered slightly distractedly. "Why is he sleeping? I thought you'd be running tests all day!"

Tony looked up at him. "I _am_ running tests, but I don't need him. His arm is made from Vibranium, so I can't get into it. Instead, I'm looking to see what needs to be done to fix the little reprogramming issue."

"Oh." Wait, Bucky's arm was made from Vibranium too? That did explain how Bucky had been able to catch his shield, actually. "But why is he sleeping? He's not one to take naps at," he checked his watch, "five in the afternoon."

"Since when did I become his nanny?" Tony questioned sarcastically. "And when did you become his overprotective parent?" He added before answering the question. "He lost control and we all decided it was time for him to take a nap."

"What? You knocked him out?" Steve demanded, shocked. "How could he _possibly_ have lost control when the only two people with him knew very well to not use the _one word_ that sets the arm off?"

Tony glanced at him, a small smile playing on his lips before he returned his focus to the 3D image.

"Dammit, Stark! You did it on purpose?" Steve asked incredulously. "I should have known. Where's Bucky now?"

"In his bed; where else does one sleep?" Tony replied. "And I needed to see where it was triggered from- now I know. All I need to work out is how to get to it."

Steve forced himself not to continue the argument- sometimes it was _way_ too easy to argue with Tony. "So you can't get inside it, then? There's no weak spot you could get in through?"

The genius sighed. "Is there a weak spot in your shield? It could have been made by the same damn person."

"Then how do you plan to get in, oh almighty superior mastermind?" Steve gave in to the temptation just a little- Tony's attitude was so grating.

"I would explain, but you wouldn't understand." Tony replied. "In short terms, very carefully, there're probably kill switches which I'll have to be careful to not tamper with."

"So you need something small and controlled…" Steve said, suddenly having an insane idea.

Tony nodded. "In dumb terms, yes."

Steve smirked. "I think Sam has just the guy for you, then."

* * *

"Hey, Nat," Steve greeted tiredly as he walked into the bedroom they shared. "I just found out that Stark set off Bucky's arm on purpose and then gassed him into unconsciousness." He sat on the bed beside her and slipped off his shoes, throwing them into the closet before laying fully on the mattress.

"Seriously? How come?" Natasha questioned, sliding her laptop off the bed and to the side.

"I guess to see how it would respond? I'm not quite sure- it was just Stark being Stark, I suppose." Steve answered, rubbing his temples. "I'm gone for _one day_ and everything goes to hell." He groaned.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "In your defense, this all started before you left." She slid closer, brushing his hair out of his face. "How long was Bucky knocked out for?"

He leaned into her touch. "He's still out. It's been almost four hours now."

"Then for now, it's not an issue." Natasha replied. "And I've sent Rhodey and Wanda off base for a few days while we sort Bucky out- we don't want any unnecessary panic for Wanda right now."

"Good call." Steve agreed. "I just hope this all gets sorted out soon…"

Natasha nodded. "We'll sort it out. Just try not to worry too much." She sighed slightly. "Because there are hundreds of things to worry about and I don't want you to feel down because of any of them."

Steve smiled softly at her. "That's very sweet, Natasha." He said, pulling her closer. After a few minutes of just enjoying each other's presence, his curiosity got the better of him. "So what have you been working on? What's on your mind?" She seemed a little… busier than usual. Mentally, at least.

"Chloe is due to testify next month- that's the earliest they can get a court date." Natasha admitted with a small release of breath.

"Are you going to go with her? You were a witness, after all."

"Yes, she needs all of the support she can get, but I'm not a valid witness." She informed him, not elaborating on her comment.

"Wait- since when are you not a valid witness?" He asked, confused.

"My past; they can bring up hundreds of examples that will discredit me. Besides, it's not like I really saw him sexually assaulting her. Her statement alone should be enough, but if it's not, I'll sort out the problem."

That sounded ominous, but he wasn't about to argue- in this case he was totally fine with her more… special methods. "I just hope that pervert gets what he deserves." He answered.

"He will." Natasha promised.

* * *

Bucky's head was swimming when he finally came to and his eyelids fluttered open. He was lying on… something soft. His bed? Yes, this blurrily looked like his room. The lights were on, but dimmed, and the curtains had been drawn. Groaning, he rolled over and tried to sit up, but his muscles ached so he paused and just lie there for a bit, staring at the wall.

Suddenly images assaulted him- him almost attacking Stark, being knocked out, being _dangerous_ yet again. His breathing hitched at the thought that he'd put not only Maria, but also the person who was helping him, in danger. And no progress had apparently been made, which meant he was still a ticking time bomb. What if the time came when this accursed limb could never be stopped? What if they were taken off guard and someone was killed? What if he killed Maria? He started to feel light-headed, and vaguely noticed that he was close to hyperventilating.

Suddenly the mattress shifted and a body was lying right behind him, an arm around his shoulders.

"Stark is a bastard. I should have hit him harder on your behalf." Maria informed him in a surprisingly harsh tone.

"M-Maria?" He asked in surprise, rolling over to face her slightly. "You're still here?" He didn't know whether to be overjoyed at not being alone or to be terrified at the thought of hurting her somehow. With each new triggering of his arm, he began to lose hope that he could keep control over it. He'd just have to become a hermit so he wouldn't hurt anybody, he supposed. Shaking his head, he decided to settle for being relieved that she hadn't left his side and felt his breathing began to slow to healthier levels. "Thank you for staying with me. And you don't need to blame Stark. He wouldn't do that without a good reason." At least, he _hoped_ not.

Maria ran a hand down his arm. "He's a jerk. And don't expect me to be leaving anytime soon. I've postponed my meeting in France."

He felt a swell of guilt. "I'm sorry you have to miss it because of me." He apologised sincerely. "I owe you one- or ten."

"No need; I've been looking for a reason to get out of it for ages." Maria replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was hit with a truck full of bricks." He admitted. "And like I really need to pee." Fatigued as he was, with Maria's help, he made it to a sitting position and made his way to the bathroom. By the time he got back to bed, she was apparently half asleep. It made him wonder how much sleep she'd been getting lately. He slid in beside her. "You okay?" He had to be sure she hadn't been attacked by his arm again when he hadn't been aware of it or anything like that.

Maria nodded, sliding closer to him. "I'm fine- just tired. I've been worrying about you for the last six hours."

Instead of expressing his guilt again- that wouldn't do anything productive- he carefully put his flesh arm around her with a sigh. "Well, I'm fine now, so you can go to sleep." He insisted.

She didn't take her time to snuggle up to him, placing a hand on his chest. "Maybe just for a few minutes."

He smiled despite his constant worry of hurting her and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I promise to wake you if anything happens. Don't worry about it." He reassured, knowing that the spy instinct in her was wanting her to stay alert.

"Hmm, okay." She drifted off to sleep.

With a content sigh, Bucky held her closer and listened to her even breathing before he eventually joined her in sleep.

* * *

Steve looked over the file. He absolutely hated saying no to any child. In a way, he'd be happy to adopt all of them, but he knew that wasn't feasible. "Zachary was too loud and hyper." He said regretfully. He glanced at Natasha, who typed something into her laptop and nodded in agreement. "But what about Selina? I really liked her."

Natasha tilted her head to the side and gave him her attention. "Selina... I don't think I personally spoke to her. What was she like?" She asked. Her attention popped over to the laptop as she typed something up- obviously getting up the official file of the child, like every other time- before turning back to him.

Steve smiled fondly. "She's about five years old, and she's very sweet and fairly mellow for her age." He described.

"She sounds lovely." Natasha commented, looking at her laptop. "She is, in fact, five years and four months old, been in the foster system for nine months after her mother drowned. No other family- as with most of the children." She paused, reading the information. "Two failed adoptions so far due to… not being the right fit."

"'Not the right fit', huh?" Steve asked skeptically. "I wonder what the real problems were."

Natasha shrugged. "It's not uncommon for children to be sent back. You said that Selena was sweet and mellow- children's emotions are delicate. She could have simply cried or yelled about something and they changed their minds. Or she could have done something wrong."

"Poor kid." Steve sighed. "I would definitely like to put her on our list of possibilities."

"Sure. I'll set up a meeting so I can meet her, too." Natasha replied, making a note. "What about…" She hesitated slightly, for the first time. "Chloe."

"Really?" He asked in surprise. "I mean… she's older, so there would be less time she would spend growing with us..." He liked the idea of adopting Chloe, but she didn't necessarily fit their age specifications.

"I know she's the wrong age and will age out in three years- she's definitely too old for her to truly see us as her parents, but... she'll be _alone_. She's not going to get the right kind of support in the system. I'd rather make a difference." Natasha ran a hand through her hair.

Steve pulled the laptop closer to himself so he see Chloe's file as he thought about it. Adopting Chloe… well, it would be harder. Chloe was older, and most likely remembered more of her life either before being in the system or during her time going from home to home. She was more than likely emotionally damaged. She would most certainly require more guidance, considering they had less time with her before she was a legal adult. She would need financial support and she would need especially good role models since she'd probably never had anyone to look up to properly. She would eat more and she would be more difficult to manage at times, being a teenage girl and all, and she probably wouldn't trust them for a while.

Natasha interrupted his thoughts before he had a chance to reply. "How about you think it through, and then we can discuss it."

Steve nodded gratefully. "Good idea." He picked up a file. "How about we take a break from this and grab something to eat? I think I've finally mastered homemade pizza." He offered.

"I'll be the judge of that; maybe by the time we choose a child and adopt them, you'll have mastered at least a few meals." Natasha replied with a smirk, closing the laptop.

"Hey, keep up that attitude and I'll put apple slices on your piece." Steve teased.

Natasha smirked. "My favourite," she commented before sauntering out of the room.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **BIG shoutout to ThisVioletofMine! Remember her name!**


	30. Selina

Bucky raised a brow almost disbelievingly when Tony's new magical 'solution' walked in. " _Scott_? _He's_ your plan?" Now he knew why it had been kept from him- no offense to Scott, but Bucky would have immediately told him not to come had he been aware that Tony had called him.

Scott pouted. "Hey! I'm the best there is! I'll get your arm back in ship-shape, dude!" He mock-saluted and turned to Tony. "My orders, Sir?"

"Stop joking around, Lang." Maria snapped. Bucky almost smiled- _almost_.

Tony looked slightly skeptical but went straight into Avenger mode. "There are a few switches in his arm which could set it off, control it or transmit orders. To start with, you are going to need to _carefully_ disconnect these three circuits- be sure to not disconnect anything else. This should stop any incoming transmissions." He paused. "Are you sure you're capable of doing this?"

"Of course! And don't worry about me pulling the wrong wire- I'm a professional." Scott replied with a proud smile.

"Just because you have a Master's Degree in electrical engineering doesn't mean you're a professional." Tony pointed out.

Bucky zoned out slightly when Tony continued with the instructions; what would happen to him if they couldn't fix his arm? He sure as hell couldn't stay here and endanger them- that wouldn't be fair to anybody. He looked back at Tony when Scott started putting on a- what looked like a motorbike suit. "Wait, what?"

Scott looked at him. "Don't worry, I've got a comm system; I won't have to remember all of that." He assured before sliding on his helmet. "Keep your arm still." He said before shrinking down and jumping onto his arm. Maria stepped forward with a slightly surprised expression.

Bucky had known Scott for quite a while- they'd shared an apartment- but he'd never seen his suit in action. It was… unnerving, to say the least. "Uhm… Scott? You're… You're _in_ my arm." It was probably the weirdest thing he'd said all day. He was tempted to twist his arm around to see if he could catch a glimpse of the tiny hero inside, but remembered his orders and stayed still.

Tony hit a few buttons. "Okay, Scott. What do you see?" He asked.

" _It's pretty gnarly in here, man."_ Scott's voice came through on speakerphone. " _Woah- this work, it's… it's beautiful. I might cry."_ Bucky rolled his eyes, tempted once more to twist his arm, only this time it was more to shake Scott around. With a great deal of self control, he refrained. Maria silently came to sit at his side.

"Focus. Have you located any of the transmitters yet?" Tony questioned.

" _Uh… yeah, found one. Now what?"_

"Disable it- _carefully_. Make sure you don't set off any triggers."

" _Will do… GAH! IT'S EXPLODING!"_ Scott's voice was suddenly loud and panicked. " _WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! AGHAHGHA- Psych! Gotcha!"_ This time Bucky did move his arm, although it was a tiny movement to avoid completely messing up the procedure.

"I can ensure that _you_ will die, Scott." He threatened.

" _Lighten up! Alright, I've disabled all of the transmitters! I'm just_ that _good!"_ Scott declared.

Tony massaged his temples. "Then move on to the next one."

" _Roger that!_ " A few minutes later, Scott spoke again. " _Alright, ready to disable the deadly switches!"_ The sound of footsteps came over the comm. " _Man, Buck, this section is a sty! You need to keep your arm cleaner!"_ Bucky rolled his eyes but avoided retorting. " _I've located the switches. Aaaand… first switch has been flipped! Now… SHIT!"_ Bucky's eyes widened in alarm a few seconds before his entire arm went completely limp. " _Woah! Shit, I think I activated some sort of defense program! It's all shutting down! I'm getting out!"_ Bucky watched as Scott re-appeared, normal sized, before them. His suit was slightly singed in places and he was breathing heavily. "Something went _really_ wrong, guys."

"Yeah, we sent in an idiot. Steve was wrong about suggesting you." Tony muttered with a sigh. "I don't have the equipment here, so we'll have to go back to Stark Tower where I can properly see what damage this moron did."

Maria was shaking her head in exasperation but remaining silent on the matter.

Scott crossed his arms defensively. "It wasn't _my_ fault! Flipping the second switch set off a defense program that made it completely shut down!"

Bucky sat wordlessly, not knowing what to say in this situation. His arm had just ceased to function, and was now dead weight pulling painfully on his shoulder. He put his flesh arm underneath it to help alleviate the pressure, sighing. "Things just keep getting worse and worse." He lamented.

"Pack a bag. I'll let Steve and Natasha know and ready the quinjet. See you there in twenty minutes." Tony said and without waiting for an answer, walked out of the room.

Bucky stood, corrected his balance after the sheer weight of his arm- that thing was made of some _heavy_ materials- and made his way to the door. "Well, let's see what other damage we can do to my arm, huh?" This was already such a long few days, and he could tell it was only going to get longer.

* * *

Natasha rested her head back against Steve's chest, where she was currently leaning. Why did they always seem to have adoption conversations in bed? Back in the day, a bed was for sleeping and having sex- not talking. "What about James?"

"What about Bucky?" Steve questioned, suddenly slightly alert at the change of subject. "I thought he went to Stark's?"

She shook her head. "Not Bucky- he _is_ at Stark's; the other James."

"Rhodey?"

Natasha turned her head to look at him. "No, the other James… the seven-year-old we saw at Darting Orphanage." She clarified.

"Ah, _that_ James. I liked him. And I think James Rogers has a nice ring to it." Steve commented.

She turned her head away from him so she could rest it on his chest comfortably again. "If I remember correctly, he liked pizza, soccer, climbing and hunting."

His arm adjusted to lay on her shoulders, pulling her closer. "But what about Selina? I really liked her. You need to meet her."

Natasha snuggled closer to him. "She doesn't sound perfect on paper." She admitted. "I'll call up the social worker tomorrow, then, and see if we can drop by there in the afternoon before we go to the house."

"Alright." Steve agreed, running his free fingers through her hair. "I'm glad you didn't cut it." He added randomly.

She let out a laugh as she slid around in his arms. "One day I _will_ find out what your fascination with my hair is." She promised, pressing her lips against his softly.

"I'll never tell." He challenged, rolling her over, showing dominance.

Natasha easily flipped him back over, them both landing on the floor with her on top. "We'll see about that."

* * *

Steve couldn't help but smile excitedly as they rounded the corner and reached the door to the meeting room. Well, it wasn't a normal meeting room, with boring meetings of corporate executives and a soul-crushing atmosphere; it was a room where prospective parents could meet the children they wanted to adopt. The walls were painted in bright blues and greens and the carpet was equally bright. There was a table and a few chairs, some of which comically small for the younger children, and various toys were scattered around the room. At the table was an older woman in a pantsuit who perked up as soon as they entered, standing and approaching with a kind smile and an extended hand.

"Hello! I'm Julia Tanking, and I'm Selina's caseworker. You must be Mr. Rogers and Ms. Romanoff, right?" She introduced cheerily.

"That's us." Steve replied warmly, shaking the woman's hand firmly. His gaze danced around the room in search of the little girl, and he found her playing obliviously with some foam blocks in the far corner. "Hey, Selina!" He greeted a little louder. The girl turned at the sound of her name and her face broke into a shy grin.

"Hello." She said, grabbing her teddy bear's arm and sauntering over.

Natasha knelt down. "Hello, I'm Natasha." She greeted softly, a smile gracing her lips.

Selina pulled her bear to her chest and buried her chin in it, hiding her mouth and nose. "Hi." The word was muffled.

Steve knelt down too and offered her his hand. "You remember me, right? I'm Steve. We talked a few days ago."

The girl's blue eyes widened just a bit before crinkling at the corners in what was probably a smile. "Yeah, I r'member." She said into the bear.

The caseworker got on her knees beside the girl, putting an arm around her small shoulders. "Now, Selina, let's not be rude- these lovely people want to talk with you a little, so let's uncover our mouths, please." She said gently. Selina nodded and slowly lowered Mr. Kyle.

Natasha was slightly tense, although that wouldn't be obvious unless one knew her. "Don't worry, we don't bite." She teased, lightly poking Selina's side.

Selina giggled and squirmed. "Yeah, but you _poke_!" She cried in quite possibly the cutest voice Steve had ever heard.

"I also tickle." Natasha informed the young girl playfully before tickling her side.

"Ah!" Selina laughed gleefully, dropping the bear and falling to the carpet in a fetal position, face turning red. "St-stop!" She insisted between giggles.

Natasha released the girl with a smile and glanced at Steve.

"Hey, Selina," He said, catching the girl's attention as one little hand fixed her shirt, which had rolled up a little. "What is your favorite thing to do in the whole wide world?"

"Uh… I really like drawing!"

"That's awesome!" Steve exclaimed, not having to feign the excitement in his voice. He loved the way this was going; it showed promise. "I do, too- just ask Natasha! I drew her face once." He made a face. "It looked kind of weird, though."

Selina giggled again. "One time I drawed a monkey and Tatum thought it was a horse." She whispered loudly, conspiratorially.

Natasha laughed. "Maybe Tatum needs to learn her animals again." She suggested teasingly.

"I think she needs glasses." Selina argued with a poorly-hidden smile. "Did you know that am...am-" She cut herself off, looking frustrated, "am-in-als have warm blood or cold blood?" She finally finished, looking proud of herself.

Steve smiled. "I didn't," he lied. "Even crocodiles?"

Selina was eager to answer, "Yeah!"

"Even cephalopods?" Steve added as a joke. Her little eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Cef-la… What?"

"Nevermind." Steve hastily amended, looking to Natasha and silently asking if she wanted to ask the girl anything.

Natasha looked at him and then back to Selina. "He's just being silly." She said lightly before asking, "Do you like reading? Or stories?"

"I _love_ reading! I like the funny books with the thingies you can move!" The girl announced, bouncing a little so a lock of curly hair fell in her face. "I can't read, so everyone else reads the books to me, but I like making up stories with Mister Kyle!"

"Oh, I forgot to say hello to Mister Kyle! How silly of me!" Natasha picked up the bear, which was still on the floor. "It's very nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too!" Selina said, adopting an exaggerated falsetto voice and talking from the corner of her mouth. Steve couldn't help but laugh.

"It's a miracle! A talking teddy bear!" He cried.

Natasha chuckled in amusement and handed the bear back to Selina. "I'd better give him back to you before I forget."

Selina stuffed the bear under her arm and returned her rapt attention to them. "Your hair is pretty." She commented, pointing at Natasha's head.

"Thank you. I love your hair; it's a lot darker than mine." Natasha replied with a smile.

The girl smiled shyly. "Thank you." She said, quieter.

Suddenly Julia was back, looking regretful. "Sorry to interrupt, but Selina's got lots of things to do this afternoon, so we need to wrap this up." She informed.

Smiling sadly, Steve nodded and put a gentle hand on Selina's shoulder. "It was very nice to see you again. You're lots of fun to hang out with." He said genuinely.

Selina frowned in disappointment and looked up at them with big dewy eyes. "Will you come back to play?" She asked hopefully.

Steve looked to Natasha, who gave a tiny shrug before finally nodding, and then turned back to Selina. "Of course we will." He promised. Selina cheered and jumped excitedly, running to her caseworker's side.

"Say goodbye, Selina." Julia urged.

The girl waved with a huge smile. "Bye-bye!"

"Goodbye." Natasha waved until the girl was out of the room. Then she smiled at Steve. "I like her."

* * *

Steve stared in wonder at the entryway of their new home- construction and painting had finally been completed, and they were now free to move in and decorate it to their tastes. It was so much bigger than he'd imagined as they looked at the blueprints! Everything was so spacious and welcoming, with light paint and soft carpets. Beside him, he could hear Natasha's slight inhale indicating that she too was taken by surprise by just how much _space_ they now had. He wandered into the kitchen and looked around- no furniture yet, but it had been fully equipped with state-of-the-art appliances. He began visualising where their few personal items could go and where his few framed photos could hang.

"I can't imagine what upstairs must look like," Steve commented in awe.

"There's one way to find out," Natasha started as she walked towards the stairs, her fingers trailing against the walls.

Steve fell into step beside her and they climbed the stairs together. The hallway itself wasn't extremely impressive, but the first bedroom on the right certainly was. It was large and painted in mellow blues, just waiting to be decorated. It all reminded Steve of a blank canvas; a fresh start. He and Natasha were beginning a new chapter of their lives together. They would become parents to the child that would eventually occupy this room. There would be someone else to fill this huge house, and make it seem more like a home.

Natasha took his hand and led him down the hall to one of the end rooms. The room was white with an elegant and swirly pattern across the bottom third of the wall. The double doors to the built-in wardrobe were also white, just like the curtains. It was plain, large and also waiting for a personal touch. "I think this would be the perfect room for Selina- she'll have a great view of the garden out of her window."

"I wonder if she'd like to plant some flowers with us." Steve mused. "Although I'm not much of a gardener- maybe that should be a 'mommy and me' thing." He amended.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Let's keep that as a 'daddy-daughter' thing, because I am not interested in planting flowers." She replied. "But I'd suggest giving her at least a week to settle before asking her to plant or cook or whatever else you're going to suggest."

"Good thinking." Steve agreed with a nod of his head. "What about you? What are you going to do with her?" He asked curiously. He'd always wondered how Natasha would bond with children- what child-friendly activities she was willing to participate in.

"She seems similar to Lila, so painting, dress up, reading books, making up our own little stories, fighting skills, pranking ideas." Natasha listed.

"Ahem… Pranking _whom_ , may I ask?" Steve asked with exaggerated formality. "Because if the answer is me, then I have one thing to say to you: bring it on." A giant grin split his face.

Natasha grinned. "I'm not going to teach her to prank _me_ , now, am I?" She replied, pulling him out of the room. "And this grand room is ours."

He gazed around the room, liking the spaciousness of it. "I can see lots of possibilities. We need to get something decorative- give it our own personal touch. Like that one wall we painted."

"I can see a lot of creative ideas." Natasha began, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Especially for the times when we're alone here." She smiled up at him.

He felt a similar smile tugging at the corners of his own lips and he leaned down and kissed her. He couldn't think of anything to say, so he let his actions speak for him.

* * *

Steve sat on the bed experimentally, examining the view of the rest of the room from that angle and liking what he saw. There was so much space! Sighing contentedly, he flopped onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, listening to the sounds of Natasha brushing her teeth. "How's the water pressure?" He called; he hadn't had a chance to brush his teeth yet, and thus had yet to use their bathroom.

"We could always take a shower together and find out." Came Natasha's suggestive reply.

Steve smiled. "Maybe tomorrow, Babe." He teasingly answered. "I'm ready to get to sleep."

Natasha sauntered out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, spinning a knife around in her hand. She deposited it on the bedside table. "Old man." She replied casually as she opened a drawer and collected her gun.

"Woah, why are we sleeping armed?" Steve exclaimed in surprise. Sure, she always kept a weapon on hand, but she rarely took more than one into bed with her.

Natasha looked at him like he was completely crazy. "You're joking, right?" She questioned, slipping into the bed and sliding the gun under the pillow. "Selina isn't even here yet, so it's not like we have to keep a special eye on our weapons yet, or lock them away."

"Yeah, but why are you taking up arms all of a sudden? Even before we thought about kids, you weren't this weapon-happy!" Steve argued, scooting up to lie against the headboard beside her.

"Not that I need to explain myself," Natasha started pointedly. "But we are in a new environment with _less_ security than before. I will not be defenseless if we are attacked."

Steve really wanted to continue this argument, because Natasha taking a knife and a gun to bed- wait, was that a _sword_ she'd hidden under the bed prior to getting into it?- was rather ridiculous. With her amazing combat skills coupled with his own and his inability to be hurt as easily, it was highly unlikely any intruder could get the upper hand on them. Still, it was late and he was tired, so if it made her feel more secure, who was he to give her a hard time about it? "Alright, fine. Keep your entire arsenal on your person if that's what floats your boat." He relented. "But if I brush against you and you almost stab me in your sleep again, I'm confiscating them."

He received a light punch in the gut, before her arms came to wrap around him and she pressed a kiss against his jaw. "Good night, Steve." She replied in a sing-song way.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **This story is nearing the end of it's arc... That is surprisingly a little more difficult to write!**


	31. More information

**Author's note:**

 **Hello! Shorter chapter today, compared to what I've been posting lately! But within my original target!**

 **Huge thank you to the reviewers of the last chapter: Javie-1998; Moustache1234; TheJollyRoger; RomanogersLaucifer; RollinWithCodineAndASwisha; supesfan18; Amy Hamato; Priness2016; LilyRose14**

* * *

Steve held the door for Natasha before following her into the room, where Julia Tanking was waiting for them at a small table, several files scattered on the table in front of her. "Hey, you two! So glad you're back!" She exclaimed happily, shaking their hands. After they had sat down, she got right to business. "Alright, so you wanted to know more about Selina, correct?" She asked, flipping one of the folders open.

"Yes, we do." Steve answered, his hand finding Nat's under the table and giving it an excited squeeze.

"Selina Mary Yates was born May 18th, 2011 at Saint Mary's Hospital in New York. Her mother, Sharon, was killed by her boyfriend and Selina's biological father, Derek Clarke, when Selina was two years old. She's been in the foster system ever since, as she has no living relatives, and has been adopted twice. The first failed adoption was due to her father sending death threats to the family- he's been incarcerated for almost three years now, but it still set them on edge and she was returned after eleven months. Sixth months later, she was adopted by her second family, but had problems opening up to them. Her last foster family suddenly sent her back after she got into some trouble at her daycare." Julia read. She looked up at them again. "I can assure you that Selina's a very good girl- never got into trouble here, has a great personality, as you've seen- and the daycare incident was instigated by some bullies who were teasing her for her foster status. Although, I think it was just an excuse to return her, due to Selina not liking the family that much. However, I think things would be different with you two- she's never been quite so playful with visiting prospective parents as she was with you the other day."

Natasha smiled. "That's good to hear; she seemed very friendly and open with us- that was one of the things we really liked about her."

Steve nodded in agreement. "And as for her father- well, Natasha and I are both expertly trained in various combat techniques and in the safe use of firearms. We can keep her safe, and we won't be intimidated by him."

The caseworker looked at them with curiosity before smiling sincerely. "That's wonderful news! I really think you two would be the perfect adoptive parents for Selina!" She exclaimed.

"How does the process work? Because we definitely want to adopt Selina- after how long we took to decide, ensuring that it was best for everybody and making sure we were ready for the commitment, which we definitely are… I'm just excited to know the exact steps into making this happen." Natasha said.

Julia grinned. "Well, there's a lot of paperwork involved in this next step, but it only takes a few days- then we can start planning when you can take her home, as… it appears you've already had the necessary background and home checks and passed them with flying colours." She chuckled. "Anyways, I would wait at least two weeks before actually taking her home, and come visit her every day during that period so she can get used to you."

"I think that would be for the best. We don't want to make Selina uncomfortable in any way, and being taken from what you know as your home to somewhere else with strangers will be a difficult process." Natasha replied with a smile.

Julia nodded. "I'm glad you understand what she'll be going through- having that understanding helps tremendously in the long run, because that allows you to be more patient with her when she might have a few issues; most children act out in one way or another when they're thrown into a new environment like that." Sighing, she closed the file and leaned closer to them, donning a serious expression. "Now I want you to understand something. I've known Selina for the last three years of her young, precious life, and she means the world to me. The only thing I want is for her to go to a loving, amazing home with a family that will take good care of her and appreciate her for the little miracle she is." She said intensely. "I don't think she could handle being rejected again, not after all the hardships she's already been through, so I want you to really think this over again. I want you to be completely, absolutely sure that you want to go through with this. Because if she has to go through that again…" She trailed off, staring at them expectantly.

Steve glanced over at Natasha before returning his gaze to the caseworker. "Mrs. Tanking, we are 100% sure that we want to adopt Selina. We want to be her permanent family, and we want to take care of her." He said genuinely, squeezing Natasha's hand again.

"And I will never give up on her." Natasha promised.

After a few more seconds of scrutinising them, Julia nodded and leaned back in her seat, smile gradually coming back. "Phenomenal! I truly think you two are just what Selina needs, and it will be my pleasure to help you adopt her."

Steve grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you." He replied simply, not knowing what else to say to that kind of statement.

Natasha squeezed his hand. "Why didn't you adopt her? If you care for her so much, why leave her in this toxic environment?" She questioned bluntly.

The social worker looked slightly stricken. "I really want to… but I already have four kids of my own, and there's no more room in my house for her. If she wasn't adopted in three years, when my oldest leaves for college, I would have seriously considered it. But I'm glad you two came along." She said sincerely.

"Thankfully she didn't have to wait for you then." Natasha replied with a sickeningly sweet smile which didn't match her words. "Now, what do we have to do to finalise this?"

"Well… here, you need to read through all of these," she handed them a folder full of documents, "sign where indicated, and return those to me as soon as you can. Like I said, wait two weeks, visit her daily, and when you come to give me these papers, we'll discuss the date for you to take her home." Julia informed.

Steve accepted the folder. "Will do, Mrs. Tanking. Was there anything else we needed to discuss?"

The woman looked thoughtful. "No, I think that does it! Have a lovely day, you two, and call me with any questions you may have." She led them to the door.

"Thanks again! We'll get on this right away." Steve said as a goodbye.

"Thank you." Natasha said gratefully walking out with Steve and taking his hand. "Two weeks and we could have a daughter."

He smile down at her. "Two weeks 'til we're officially a family."

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you saying that we're _not_ currently a family?"

"What? No, I just meant that we'd officially be a traditional family unit: mother, father, child." Steve objected.

Natasha hummed in disbelief and walked to the car. "That's not what it sounded like." She replied.

Steve sighed in exasperation. "You totally ruined the moment, Nat." He called after her, jogging to catch up.

"They'll be plenty of moments when we're a family." Natasha replied with a smirk before sliding into the driver's seat.

He slid in beside her with a small chuckle. "I just love that phrase. 'When we're a family'." He smiled widely at her. And then he remembered something. "Crap, is that the time? I wanted to go and check on Bucky!"

"Wanted to? It's only four-thirty. We can still go now." Natasha replied, turning on the engine and zooming off- probably over the speed limit.

"Woah, Nat, you can slow down a little- don't hit that bird!" Steve exclaimed; he was too late. The tiny body of a bird slammed into the windshield and went flying, leaving a smudge on the glass. "Great. You've just committed vehicular birdslaughter."

Natasha smirked. "You know, laughter is in the word slaughter- sounds like a good thing to me."

Steve didn't know whether to laugh or be seriously concerned. He settled for both and laughed tensely. "That's… That's great, Nat. Laughter is wonderful."

The corner of her lips turned upwards as she turned on the radio.

* * *

Steve and Natasha finally located Bucky and Stark in one of the fancier laboratories at Stark Tower, where they were currently discussing something about the arm that was causing so much trouble. Bucky was sitting casually on a plastic chair with at least a dozen wires protruding from his metal limb, all connecting to various parts of Tony's computer system. A holographic display was showing an increasing percentage- some sort of loading sign. "Hey, Buck!" Steve greeted immediately. The fact that Bucky seemed more relaxed was encouraging. "How is everything going? Smoothly, I hope."

Bucky shrugged, moving the metal fingers slightly to show them. "It's working again, and now Tony's reprogramming it." He explained.

"Great!" Steve offered a smile. He was relieved that this whole incident seemed to be winding down.

Natasha walked over and looked over at the screen, "What kind of reprogramming?" She inquired.

"Firstly, I'm getting rid of any programming already existent. And then, because the programs are embedded deep, I'm also changing the orders; you can't see what the triggers are, but now instead of attack, he'll do something else if something fails or there's a trigger we missed when disarming the hardware." Tony explained.

"What will he do instead?"

Tony smirked. "Well, the spock symbol from star trek is one command." He admitted.

Steve couldn't help the laughter that all but exploded from him. "That's _awesome_! What's another one? Does he pick his nose on command?" He teased.

"There are a few left to reprogram." Tony replied with a smirk.

Natasha simply rolled her eyes. "How mature of you." She muttered sarcastically.

"You guys know I'm right here, right? Tony, if you make it do something stupid, I'll strangle you with my _other_ arm." Bucky cut in.

Tony simply laughed off the threat as Natasha lifted her phone to her ear and walked from the room.

"So, after this there's no threat of it happening again?" Steve asked. Bucky rolled his eyes.

"Relax, Steve. He knows what he's doing, so I doubt it'll happen again. Wait- you _do_ know what you're doing, right?" He asked Tony over his shoulder.

"I'm insulted that you had to even ask!" Tony replied with fake hurt.

Steve laughed a little and glanced at the far glass wall, outside of which Natasha was pacing, still on the phone, with a deeply worried expression. Suddenly all thoughts of humour left him and he stood, exiting the lab wordlessly to stand by her side.

"Listen, take a deep breath. You don't have to worry about him, I'll go over there now and break his fucking legs." Natasha froze. "Pretend I didn't swear." She told the person on the phone.

Alright, while it was alarming that Natasha was so angry at someone, what was even more alarming was the fact that she was being self-conscious about her language- meaning she was most likely talking to a child. 'What happened?' He mouthed to Natasha silently, not wanting to interrupt her conversation. 'Who is that?'

Natasha held her hand over the receiver. "It's Chloe; that Bas- John turned up and threatened her." She informed him before turning her attention back to the phone. "He's not going to hurt you, that would hurt his defense."

Steve growled deep in his throat. What kind of sick person threatened a teenage girl like that? Well, the same kind of person who pervertedly touched said teenage girl and was going to prison, actually. Still, it enraged him. He began to pace alongside Natasha, fighting the very strong urge to track John down and decapitate him with his shield.

"Chloe. Go downstairs and tell the person you are staying with. Okay, yes, call your social worker too." Natasha nodded. "Okay, I will. Don't worry." She hung up the phone and looked too pissed to talk.

Still, there were questions that needed to be asked. "What should we do?" Because they _were_ going to do something.

"What _can_ we do?" Natasha counted frustrated. "They already moved her from the home she was in."

Steve ran both hands through his hair, closing his eyes as he tried to think of a solution- because just moving Chloe wouldn't be enough. Desperate people like John wouldn't let something like that get in the way. He racked his brains, almost pulling his hair out in frustration. Then he blurted out the only thing he could come up with. "We can take her ourselves."

Natasha looked at him like he was crazy. "We are adopting Selina in _two_ weeks, you want to look after two children?"

"To keep her safe, yes. Hell, why not adopt her? We're the best chance she's got right now of living safely and, hopefully, happily." Steve exclaimed. He didn't know if it was the urgency of the situation or something else, but this seemed like a totally sound and good idea.

"Okay, let me call her social worker, see what we can arrange immediately." Natasha replied, looking at him slightly skeptical before walking away as she placed her phone to her ear.

Steve watched her go, hoping against hope that they were making the right decision.

End

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **My boss walked in whilst I was putting this onto FF... and then my other boss... :/ But it seems like they haven't noticed!**


	32. Helping Chloe

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello! I have been so busy lately, literally. Somehow, I have managed to plan my time well to continue my stories, however, some have been put on the sidelines lately... I am glad that ThisVioletofMine and I have managed to continue this incredible story.**

 **I always feel better when I receive reviews, and a lot of your reviews are so kind and amazing, that it truly makes my day.**

 **Even when I'm going through a really difficult day, they really help. And because of that, I always want to reply to every review, and then give a shout out to you all. However, as you may know, lately, I have not been able to do that. But, I want you all to know that it means a LOT to me, and to ThisVioletofMine, too.**

 **This chapter is literally twice the size as the previous chapter, which is incredible. I hope you all like it!**

* * *

Natasha had a folder tucked under one arm as she paused at the door. "Are you sure you want to do this, Steve?" She questioned. There was no doubt in her mind that this was the right decision; she wanted to do anything she could to help Chloe, and in a lot of ways, wanted to be the one to help guide her. But Steve had been hesitant when she originally brought it up, and his decision seemed to be more in the moment and out of panic for the child than anything else. But if he was sure, then she would be handing in the paperwork and they would be fostering Chloe until the time when a family decided to adopt her or she aged out of the system.

Steve, though clearly still rattled, nodded determinedly. "Yes." He replied. "I want to help her and keep her safe, and I really think this is the best available option."

"No backing out now, then." Natasha replied before walking into the building and making a beeline for the office belonging to Chloe's social worker, who Nat made sure would be here to do this. Which wasn't that hard, as the social worker was already on her way when Nat got in touch with her after what Chloe reported.

"Oh- there you are." Mrs. Carson said, sounding frazzled and meeting them at the door. "Come- sit." Steve was the last one through the door and sat down in the chair beside Natasha while the social sat stiffly in her swivel chair and began sorting through paperwork. "What did you want to discuss? I hope it's as urgent as you said on the phone, because I'm very busy right now and have no time to waste."

Natasha placed the folder down on the table with probably too much force. "I've already been to the judge and received his signature, just in case. But there is the appropriate paperwork for us to foster Chloe for the time being, with immediate effect."

The woman looked slightly surprised. "You- _you're_ fostering Chloe? I've been scrambling around all day trying to figure out her new living arrangements!" She cut herself off. "I mean, I'm very glad. I really am- it's just been a tiring day." She explained with an apologetic smile.

"We understand; we wanted to make sure everything was sorted before bringing it up, in case it fell through. However, before Steve and I sign it-" she looked at Steve briefly, "we want to make sure that Chloe wants to stay with us."

"Oh! Yes, of course." Mrs. Carson replied. "If you'll just follow me- she's down the hall." She got up and led the way.

"How has she been since the incident?" Steve asked as they walked.

The social worker was quiet for a minute. "Well, she's been surprisingly calm, but also very… withdrawn. Rattled, I think. She might not want to talk about it, but I can't be sure. She hasn't said a word to me since she told me what happened." Her voice was pained. "Here we are." She held open the third door from the left and they went in.

"Hey, Chloe." Steve greeted the teen with a kind expression. "How have you been?"

"Uhh… good?" Chloe responded hesitantly. "You came. Why?" Chloe asked.

Natasha took a seat next to the teenager. "I told you that I was going to help- both Steve and I want to help you."

Steve nodded. "We wanted to ask you something."

Chloe looked at them all questioningly. "Which is...?" She prompted.

"Steve and I were wondering if you would be comfortable staying with us." Natasha replied. "If we foster you."

Chloe simply stared at them, dumbfounded, before responding. "Why? I'm… Why?"

Steve smiled sadly. "We can keep you safe from John, and we can provide a good home for you, Chloe." He explained.

"But we are leaving this decision up to you- we don't want to make you uncomfortable." Natasha added with a smile.

"That… you sure? I mean, I'm damaged goods… you know that, right?" Chloe questioned.

"You are not damaged; you've just had a rough scrap. And we wouldn't be here unless we were sure- I think through _everything_ extensively before I act." Natasha answered.

Chloe nodded.

"Chloe, would you like us to foster you?" Steve asked carefully, calmly. Mrs. Carson was watching the exchange with alertness, and was now clearly waiting eagerly for the girl's response.

She shrugged, obviously not wanting to get her own hopes up. "I mean... yeah, sure. That'd be great. It'll be... yes, yes."

"Wonderful!" The social worker exclaimed, looking like a big weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

Steve had turned to Chloe. "I promise you won't regret any of this." He assured. "We'll be the best family you've ever had."

"I hope so," Chloe replied with a smile.

"How about you go upstairs and get your things?" Mrs. Carson suggested. Chloe looked surprised at the request- she obviously hadn't realised they were going to take her immediately.

"We'll wait for you down here." Natasha added.

Chloe nodded and headed upstairs to her room.

* * *

After signing the documents, Natasha stepped down the corridor, looking at the notice board. Soccer clubs were especially something which made her smile- although, she was pretty sure Chloe wasn't a soccer player. She was now wondering if they should have brought anything for Chloe before arriving. Thankfully, one of the spare bedrooms was made up as Clint was planning on popping over later in the week. Her eyes shifted to a little head poked out of the door; somebody was watching her. "Wait… Matt?" She questioned, recognising the boy from a few months ago. "What are you doing here?"

"Who are you?" Matt asked defensively. He slowly emerged into the hall, one hand nervously picking at his sleeve. "How do you know my name?"

Natasha smiled softly; of course he didn't recognise her. "I'm Natasha- I helped your brother after the hurricane. My friend, Steve, helped you; do you remember?"

He gnawed on his lip and didn't meet her eyes. "I-it's all a blur." He admitted. Then his eyes widened. "Wait- I remember! He was super strong! He rescued me and took me to the doctors, right?"

"Yeah, that's him. Where is Tommy?" Natasha questioned, still wondering why Matt was here.

Matthew's face crumpled and he wiped his sleeve over his face. "They took T-Tommy away." He whimpered. "They said that, that we wouldn't get a-adopted together, and- and they put him in some home for littler kids, and- and…" He sniffled, eyes absolutely agonised. "I haven't heard from him in a long time."

"They can't do that! You're brothers!" Natasha protested, but quickly softened her voice. "Matt, don't cry. It's going to be okay."

Matt sniffled again and rubbed his eyes with his fists, looking very small. "I-I send him letters, but h-he can't read very well, and I-I guess nobody will help him, so… And I keep asking to see him, b-but…" He dissolved into quiet cries.

Natasha stepped forward, gently pulling the young boy into her arms. "I'll sort something out." She promised, hoping that she could keep it.

Suddenly Steve was beside them, kneeling down with a hand resting on Natasha's shoulder. "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly before carefully placing a comforting hand on Matt's shoulder as well. "Why's the little guy crying?"

"Tommy!" Matt wailed into Natasha's shoulder.

Natasha looked at Steve silently from a few moments. "Apparently, siblings get adopted separately." She informed him, keeping her voice at a whisper. "Matt and Tommy are staying at different foster homes right now."

Steve looked slightly shocked. "Wait- this is Matt? The boy I helped in Kansas City?" He tried to get a look at the boy's face, but ultimately failed as Matt kept it buried in Natasha's shoulder. "And they're separated? That can't be legal."

Natasha stood up, picking Matt up with her. "This is Matt, and they are separated." She replied. "They won't even let them see each other." She added, her voice nearly a whisper as she rubbed Matt's back comfortingly.

From his expression, it was clear that Steve was nothing short of disgusted. "We've got to do something about this, Nat." He stated. "We can't let them be separated any longer. They're brothers, and they don't have anyone else."

Matthew, if it was even possible, cried harder, Natasha's shoulder completely and thoroughly soaked through with tears.

"Shush, it's okay, Matt." Natasha idly comforted. "I'm not sure how long Chloe will be, but do you think you could get in touch with Pepper? She can check the laws and get back to us later."

Steve nodded determinedly. "Definitely." He pulled his phone out and stood a few feet away to avoid Matt overhearing anything being said. The boy pulled his head from her shoulder and looked up at her with bloodshot, teary eyes.

"Y-you're going to h-help us?" He asked pitifully.

"Of course we are." Natasha replied instantly as she knelt down, placing his feet back on the ground and pulling out a tissue. "Here, dry those tears."

He took the tissue and did as told, sniffling but refusing to cry any more. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Natasha smiled softly at him. "How about you go and play now, okay? There's a lot to sort out and it might take a long time before we see you again."

"Oh-okay." He answered, hesitantly leaving her side and going back to what appeared to be the living room.

Natasha turned and walked back into Mrs. Carson's office. "Mrs. Carson, may I ask you a question about a little boy we saw while we were waiting?" She asked, not sure if Matt had a different social worker or not.

"Hm? Oh, of course." The social worker replied kindly. "What's his name?"

"Matthew Jackson. He was put into foster care a few months ago after a hurricane destroyed his house and took away his grandfather, who was his guardian at the time after the death of his parents." Natasha answered in probably a bit too much detail, but she didn't care.

Mrs. Carson frowned thoughtfully and pulled an organiser from her bag, flipping through it and pulling out a few papers. "You said… Matthew? Sorry, what was the last name again? We've got two Matthews currently, and neither of which is in my care. Um…" She went through a few pages. "Let's see… Both arrived within the past few months." She seemed to remember something. "Oh! Is he blind? One of the Matthews is blind."

Natasha shook her head. "No. Matthew Jackson. Seven years old. Not blind."

The social worker's brows furrowed as she searched the papers further, then relaxed. "Ah, here he is." She recited. "What about him?"

"Is Tommy, his younger brother, here too?" Natasha asked, even though she knew the answer.

"Um… It appears not. That's all I can say." Mrs. Carson said somewhat regretfully.

Natasha blatantly frowned.

"Why were they separated?" Natasha questioned civilly. "That seems immoral, to say the least."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not at liberty to say. I wish I could help more, but I've said all I can on the issue." The woman insisted.

Natasha adjusted her top. "Don't worry. We'll use our own connections to inquire and sort out the problem." She replied with a too-sweet smile.

Chloe walked into the room awkwardly. "Am I interrupting?" She asked, holding a single duffle bag.

Steve ended his call almost immediately as he followed Chloe into the room. "Hey, Chloe!"

"Chloe, you're definitely not interrupting- we're here for you, after all." Natasha replied, a smile on her face. "Are you ready to go? Or is there anything else you need to do?"

She shook her head. "No, I was only here a few weeks, since we first met. Besides, I'm an expert at saying goodbye."

Smiling, though looking a little saddened, Mrs. Carson went to Chloe's side and put a friendly arm around her shoulders. "Are you ready for this, Chloe? I've got a good feeling about this time." She said supportively, not addressing the girl's new parents for a moment.

Chloe nodded. "We'll see. Thank you." She replied, giving the older woman a hug.

"Anytime, Sweetie. Call me anytime." The social worker replied, eyes suspiciously wet. Then she turned back to Steve and Natasha. "Well, you're free to take her home now, Mr. Rogers and Ms. Romanoff." She said with a proud smile. "Take good care of her."

"We will." Steve said confidently, his voice full of sincerity.

Natasha nodded in agreement. After a few more quick goodbyes with Mrs. Carson, they made their way to front doors. Then, after sharing a look and showing silent support to each other, they walked out of the Embankment Orphanage as a family.

* * *

Steve was sure his hands were shaking with pure excitement as he unlocked the front door of their home, Natasha and Chloe by his side. "Are you ready to go in?" He asked their new daughter.

Chloe nodded. "Sure, it looks really nice! Might actually be the best home I've ever stayed in." She replied with a smile.

"It'll definitely be the newest." Natasha commented casually.

Perhaps a little too dramatically, Steve threw the door open with a flourish and ushered the two inside. "Welcome!" He watched as Chloe curiously examined the entryway and the kitchen. "Here, let me carry that." He gestured to the duffle flung on her shoulder.

She held onto her bag a little tighter. "I've got it, thank you." She replied, although she didn't look back at them. "This is… woah."

Natasha smiled. "How about we head upstairs, first door on the left, and check out your room?"

"Yeah, I think you'll really like it!" Steve added, already leading the way up the stairs. "I hope you don't mind blue walls, though."

"I love blue." Chloe remarked, following him up the stairs, still looking around in absolute amazement. "Are you guys rich?"

Natasha laughed. "No, we just have a rich, generous, obnoxious friend."

Steve chuckled and led her into her new room. "This is all yours. There's a bathroom directly across the hallway, and we'll take you shopping for curtains and the like sometime this week." He would leave it to Natasha to ask about how much she already had in the ways of personal hygiene. He broke into a whole new smile at the look of wonder on the teen's face.

"There are a few basic supplies- although they may be for a male." Natasha ended up admitting. "We'll go out and buy you some proper things for your room tomorrow."

Chloe just stared, dumbfounded, at everything and then sat down on the bed. "I love it. Thank you so much." She stood up again, letting go of her bag, and hugged both Steve and Natasha simultaneously.

Steve felt frozen for just a moment; he hadn't expected her to make any physical contact with them- especially him- for a while. Finally he relaxed and hugged her right back, Natasha doing the same. They shared an affectionate smile over the teen's head.

"We'll leave you to get settled. Come down when you're ready; I'll start us all something to eat." Natasha said when the young girl pulled back.

"Right, and I'll help with that so it goes faster." Steve decided. He felt like spending some time with Natasha, and that way Chloe could easily join them if she felt so inclined. He smiled kindly at Chloe. "Feel free to join us whenever you feel comfortable to."

* * *

Natasha gave Steve one last longing kiss before stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around herself. "I'll make sure Chloe is alright with me leaving before I go- if she isn't, I'll let you know and you'll have to go instead."

"Alright." Steve replied as he began shampooing his hair. "I love you."

"Love you, too- no using the oven while I'm out. I'd rather return to an intact house." Natasha teased, walking out of the bathroom. Before reaching the wardrobe, she heard him call, "No promises!"

Natasha laughed to herself as she selected her outfit. She didn't waste any time to dress, dry her hair and grab her bag before walking down the hall.

Placing the bag on the ground, she knocked gently and pushed it open slightly. Chloe was still asleep. Natasha hated that she had to wake her up- but that was better than the alternative of Chloe waking up and being uncomfortable if she would have preferred to not be left alone with a man.

"Chloe." Natasha whispered as she stepped towards the bed. "Chloe."

Chloe rolled over to face her, confusion and sleepiness showing on her face. "Yeah?"

"I'm heading out for a few hours, so it'll just be you and Steve here. Are you okay with that?" Natasha asked her.

"Yeah." She muttered in reply, stifling a yawn.

Natasha nodded; that was easy. "Great- just head downstairs whenever you feel like it. Go back to sleep."

"'Kay." Chloe muttered, rolling back over in the double bed and falling right back into deep sleep.

So she was _not_ an early riser. Nat briefly wondered what time she'd eventually wake up, but didn't stay around to find out. Instead, she left the room, closed the door, picked up her bag and walked out to the garage.

* * *

Natasha parked the car, and as she looked at the orphanage she saw Selina's head poking out of one of the windows. A smile made its way to her lips as she slid out of the car and waved. The way the young girl's face lit up dramatically as she waved back and disappeared into the house melted her heart. She couldn't wait until Selina was officially her daughter; the paperwork would actually be finalised three days before they were taking her home- it took a little longer than fostering a child. Then again, Natasha hadn't pulled a favour with a judge for the adoption- she hadn't needed to.

She had barely stepped through the door when Selina ran towards her, but halted a few feet away. "Hi!"

Natasha grinned and bent down. "Hello, Selina! How are you?" She asked.

"Good!" The young girl replied. "Where's Steve?" She asked curiously.

"He's not here today, but he'll come tomorrow by himself." Natasha answered as she poked the girl's cheek gently.

Selina leant away from the touch and laughed as if she had just been tickled before taking Nat's hand. "Okay! I made cookies! Do you want one?" She asked, pulling her down the corridor.

She allowed herself be pulled into the lounge, where Julia Tanking was sitting on one of the chairs. "Good morning, Julia." She greeted as Selina released her hand to pick up the plate of cookies.

"Good morning, Natasha. I'm glad you arrived half an hour early; Selina insisted on waiting for you since breakfast." Julia informed her with a smile.

"I'm glad too, then." Natasha replied before turning her attention to Selina and the plate and pretending to choose her cookie wisely before picking the top one and taking a bite. "Mmm! These are great!"

Selina grinned as she carefully placed the plate back down. "Julia liked them too!" She announced. "Is it the bestest cookie you've ever _ever_ had?"

"This is by _far_ the bestest cookie I've ever, _ever, ever_ had!" Natasha exclaimed before eating the rest of her cookie.

"She's quite the little chef!" Julia praised from off to the side, watching the two with a giant smile.

Selina looked at her proudly before grabbing her hand and pulling her to the corner. "Mister Kyle won't wake up!" She exclaimed. "I thought the cookie smells would make him wake up, but he's still 'sleep!" She gestured to the bear lying on the floor, covered lovingly with a dishtowel with a tiny pillow under his head.

Natasha smiled at the sight. "Maybe he needs to be tickled." She suggested, her hands running over the young girl's sides to tickle her as an example.

Selina twisted away with a laugh. "Tickle _him!_ " She giggled.

"Oh, _him?_ " Natasha spoke with a laugh. "Silly me." She fake-tickled the bear.

"Okay, I'm awake!" Selina said in a falsetto through the corner of her mouth. "Oh, Mister Kyle! You're up!" She scooped the bear into her arms and squeezed it. "Thanks, Natasha!" Then she got a mischievous look and lurched forward, tapping Natasha's shoulder and running off. "You're it!"

Natasha raised an eyebrow; she knew Clint's kids were told off for running in the house, but when Julia didn't bat an eye, she slowly took after the girl. "I'm going to catch you." She sung, to ensure it wasn't intimidating.

" _Neveeer!_ " Selina singsonged back, sounding simultaneously like a battle cry. She giggled when Natasha came closer to her, then darted under the table and hid. They played combinations of hide and seek and tag for several gleeful hours before Selina plopped to the ground, panting and sweaty, with a huge smile on her face.

Then Julia walked over and told Natasha that it was time for Selina to be off to her room to have her daily quiet time, and that it was time for them to say their goodbyes. Selina, upon hearing this news, whined and jumped up with renewed vigor, running over to Natasha and hugging her legs as tightly as her skinny little arms allowed. "No! Stay!" She cried.

Natasha picked up the young girl so she could see her face and held her. "I have to. But Steve will come over tomorrow, and then me. And next week, you'll be coming home with us. But I have to leave now."

"Nooo! Stay!" Selina begged, tightening her hold impossibly more when Natasha made to put her down. Her grip was so tight that Natasha was sure if she were to let go of the girl, she'd stay wrapped around her torso like a little koala. "You're fun! Stay!"

"Selina, sweetheart, I can't stay. It's time for you to go upstairs, and I have some things to do, too." Natasha replied softly, bending down. "Now give me a little squeeze and then let me go, okay?"

"O-okay." Selina reluctantly agreed, giving one last squeeze before slowly letting go. A young man entered almost as if on cue and summoned her to follow him, taking her hand and leading her to the stairs. "Bye-bye, Natasha!" Selina called back one last time, waving forlornly.

Natasha waved until Selina was out of sight. She needed to take a few breaths to fully comprehend what had happened and to steady her beating heart. She hadn't expected the young girl to become so attached so quickly and it was the best feeling ever. Turning to Julia, she opened her mouth to speak but was momentarily speechless.

"Is there something wrong?" Julia asked, concerned. "It's nothing to do with Selina, is it?"

She quickly shook her head. "Of course not. Selina is perfect. I actually want to take her home with me right now." She admitted with a fond smile on her lips. "I just wanted to discuss something with you and ensure that you don't believe it would be a problem." She paused, both of them taking a seat. "Steve and I are now fostering another child. She's fifteen years old." She stopped there, not knowing how many details Julia would require, but was more so hoping there wouldn't be any issues whatsoever.

"And you're wondering if it will be a problem to your adopting Selina." Julia concluded knowingly. "Does this girl have any history of inappropriate behaviour of the sexual, physical or verbal kind?"

Natasha sighed- now was the moment of truth. "She is a great girl. However, she is currently undergoing a court case _against_ somebody for inappropriate and unwanted sexual behaviour." She answered truthfully.

Julia sat back in her seat, looking thoughtful and tapping the end of her pen against her chin. "And was this perpetrator male? How old was he? How old was she when it happened?" Julia continued.

Natasha took a breath. "Does that make a difference? Does fostering another child affect the adoption?"

Julia sighed. "Mostly, no. But Selina's been through a lot, and I care about her, and I just want to make absolutely sure that she'll be safe."

"She will be safe. That has never been a worry." Natasha replied; she hated how Julia seemed to doubt that. It didn't matter what happened- she would never intentionally put a child at risk. However, because the social worker cared about her charge, it was right to bring her in on this. "How would you suggest we go about talking to Selina about it?"

"Oh, Selina loves other kids- in fact, she's better at making friends with older children than she is with those her own age." Julia smiled fondly. "So just telling her that she'll have an older foster sister should be perfectly fine."

Natasha nodded and stood up. "Thank you very much." They shook hands. "You'll be seeing Steve tomorrow." She informed the other woman before saying goodbye and leaving, ready to head back home.

* * *

Steve looked up from his newspaper when he heard footsteps coming into the kitchen. "Hey, Chloe. Sleep well?" He asked as casually as he could, trying to hide his giant smile. The girl looked a little startled before calming and nodding.

"Yeah. The bed's comfy. Uh.. what about you?" She asked, sounding unsure. He sent her a reassuring smile.

"I slept very well, thanks. Did you want some breakfast? We've got cereal, I could make some waffles or pancakes…" Wait. "No, wait, we only have Natasha's cereal. Do you like Raisin Oats?" He winced. If they hadn't made the decision to foster her so last-minute, they would have had time to stock the proper supplies before they brought her home. Well, he didn't regret taking her home, no matter how quickly they'd chosen to do so. When Chloe pulled a face, he chuckled. "It's alright, I don't either. Would waffles or pancakes be okay?" He asked. Hey, at least this could be a bonding opportunity. She seemed unsure and awkward in the new environment and with him, so he felt the need to make her feel more at home.

"Oh, um, yeah. Sure." She spluttered, fingers fidgeting. "Thanks."

"Oh, it's nothing." He assured, getting up and starting to grab the ingredients. "Which one?"

"Uhm.. Pancakes, please." Chloe requested politely. He smiled and began mixing the batter. He looked up to see that she was still standing awkwardly by the counter.

"Please, you can sit down." He offered gently, gesturing the bar stool across the counter from him. She nodded and took a seat, propping her chin on her hands. "Do you like cooking, Chloe?"

She seemed taken off guard by the sudden personal question. "Uh… well, never really had time to enjoy it. Mostly made things like crepes when I was still hungry at my other foster homes."

"Ah. Well, I think you'll learn to love it here." Steve chuckled and began pouring the batter onto the electric skillet. All was quiet for a few minutes before Chloe unexpectedly initiated a conversation.

"Do _you_ like cooking?" It was still rather shyly asked, but she seemed a bit more comfortable than before. Steve smirked.

"Believe me, I used to suck at it. Natasha taught me and that made me love it." He answered fondly. Cooking with Natasha was one of his favorite things to do. "Now I can make pancakes all by myself!" _Victory_ , he thought when he saw the smile pulling at the corners of his young companion's mouth.

"Really?" Chloe asked, sounding interested.

"Sure! Actually, there was this one time where she was watching me make pancakes, but I forgot to reapply the nonstick spray, so the pancake fused with the skillet, and when I tried prying it off, half of it went flying- and I'm not kidding- out the window!"

Chloe looked close to full-out laughing. "Are you serious?"

"That's not even the best part. It fell out the window and hit my friend, Sam, right on the face!" Chloe did laugh this time. "And I ran over to the window and was yelling apologies at him, and Natasha says, 'Are you going to deal with that fire?' And I asked what fire, and I turned around- and the other half of the pancake was on fire!" Chloe laughed even harder, and Steve couldn't help laughing along with her.

"That's insane! You got the fire out, right?"

"Thankfully, yes. But I was banned from the kitchen for a week and Nat still teases me about it." Steve answered. Once the pancake before him was ready, he transferred it to a plate, buttered it, and passed it and some silverware to Chloe. "Do you want syrup?" She nodded, and he passed it to her. After she took a bite, he asked expectantly, "Is it good?"

"'S rea'y guh!" She exclaimed around the pancake.

"Thanks!" He began making several more pancakes. "If you want some more, they'll be ready in a second." She nodded and continued eating. They sat in companionable silence, the only sounds being the scraping of a fork and the flipping of pancakes.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**


	33. My hero!

**Author's note:**

 **Hello! I have been pretty bad at updating my stories lately! So, my apologies to anybody who reads them!**

 **But, all that matters right this second is that I am updating this story in a timely fashion AND it's super long!**

 **I just want to say a big, HUMONGOUS, thank you to the amazing FOURTEEN reviews I received! That was literally the best thing ever! Thank you! I honestly cannot explain how amazing that is!**

* * *

Natasha checked that the shelving unit- that Steve would be putting up for Chloe as a surprise before he left- was still hidden before walking down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Pancakes again? I thought you two had that yesterday?" She questioned, pulling up a chair.

Steve chuckled. "You can never have too many pancake-breakfast-days." He answered, taking a giant bite pointedly. "You want some? Chloe and I made a huge batch, so there are several extras on the counter." He gestured to the plate of pancakes behind him.

"I suppose." Natasha replied with a playful eye roll as she went to the fridge and got herself a selection of fruit to go with it.

Chloe perked up. "Can I have some fruit too?"

Natasha smiled, almost smugly. "Of course you can. I personally love fruit with pancakes." She said, placing the bowl between them and putting a pancake onto her plate.

"Oh, don't mind if I do." Steve drawled with a small smirk, sneaking a few strawberries from the bowl. "So how are you feeling, Chloe? Is your room alright? Any complaints?" He asked kindly, taking smaller bites of his food so he could talk.

"Complaints? I have a double bed and my own room! It's impossible to complain about that!" Chloe replied with a massive grin on her face as she took a few chunks of melon. "Not to mention that everything in this house smells amazing."

Natasha chuckled slightly. "It does smell pretty good." She agreed.

"It's because _I'm_ here." Steve commented haughtily, making an intentionally snobby face before breaking into laughter. "Anyways… So you're liking it here at Romanoff-Rogers Luxury Resort?"

Chloe nodded instantly.

"Great!" Steve exclaimed with a large smile flecked with pancakes and strawberry seeds. "We're enjoying having you here."

Natasha nodded in agreement. "We are- you're a delight." She noticed that Chloe had ceased eating. "If you're finished eating, how about you go get your shoes on? We don't want to be late meeting up with the girls."

Chloe nodded, sliding out of her seat and jogging out of the room.

Steve chuckled. "What are you girls going to be doing?" He asked rather curiously, stuffing a bite of pancake into his mouth like he hadn't eaten in weeks.

"Shopping." Natasha answered, holding back a groan.

"What kind of shopping? Shoes? Jewelry? Anniversary gifts?" He waggled his eyebrows.

Natasha rolled her eyes for real. "Baby shopping for Wanda, shopping for Chloe and Selina, and whatever Pepper wants to buy. But, if you're referring to our anniversary, then you should know I already have your gift." She stood up and strode over to the sink to rinse off ehr plate. "Do you?"

"Of course I do!" Steve cried, affronted. "I have never forgotten our anniversary."

"Seeing as it's our second anniversary coming up, I don't think that's a big accomplishment yet." Natasha replied as she heard Chloe's footsteps approaching. She quickly kissed him and then backed off. "See you later- don't get into any trouble." She commented before turning to Chloe.

"I'm ready." The girl announced softly.

"Bye, girls! Have fun!" Steve called.

Chloe waved before following Natasha out to the garage. "How long is the drive?" She asked.

Natasha almost stopped at the question- she hadn't thought about explaining the whole journey to Chloe. "About half an hour, but we won't be driving- we'll be flying." She glanced back to look at the confusion on the teenager's face. "I have a feeling this day will be the strangest of your life so far."

"Where are we flying to?" Chloe asked.

"New York." Natasha answered simply before pulling the lever in the garage to reveal a staircase to its roof. "How good are you at keeping secrets?"

Chloe hesitated before continuing to follow Natasha. "What kind of secrets?"

Natasha smiled at her when they reached the roof before opening the quinjet's rear doors and turning off the invisibility. "Just a few normal secrets." She replied as Chloe stared at the quinjet with utter shock. "Come on." She spoke, taking Chloe's hand and guiding her into the quinjet, closing the rear doors. "Now, if I let you sit in the cockpit, you have to promise to not touch _anything_."

"Oh, I promise! I won't even breathe!" Chloe promised, her eyes wider than saucers.

A smile tugged at Natasha's lips. "You can breathe." She replied before taking her seat and waiting for Chloe to also sit down and strap in.

Once they had taken off, Natasha thought it might be best to give Chloe a little forewarning into where they were going. "Just a question- what do you know about Iron Man and the other Avengers?"

"The superheroes? They're pretty amazing, but I don't know much about them; just what I've seen on the news. And between us…" Chloe looked around. "Iron Man… Uhm, Tony Stark, right? He's pretty hot."

Natasha couldn't hold back a laugh. "He'd definitely agree with you on that."

* * *

"Steeeeeeve!" Selina cried as she launched herself into his gut. Letting out a surprised laugh, Steve swept her up into his arms and threw her a safe distance into the air before catching her again, cherishing the dimpled smile on her precious little face.

"Hey, Selina! How are you?" He asked.

"I'm good! Miss Julia said I could wear my princess dress today!" Steve put her back on the ground and she twirled her frilly tutu of a skirt. "Do you like it?" She asked shyly.

"I love it! It's very fancy." Steve complimented, taking in the wear and tear on the little dress- holes, faded coloring, stains- that showed it was well-loved. They'd have to get her a brand new princess dress once they got her home. Maybe it could be her Christmas present?

Selina giggled. "Are you going to play with me?" Steve nodded with a giant grin. "Yay! C'mon!" She grabbed his wrist and began tugging him to the toy corner while Julia watched on, not bothering to hide her laughter. "Mister Kyle and me were just playing Castle. You be the strong knight, and I'm the princess, and Mister Kyle is… is… a giant DRAGON!" Selina cried excitedly. "And, and you have to beat him to save the princess!" She was jumping in place with sheer eagerness, her little hand still grasping his fingers. He knelt down to her level.

"Of course, my lady." He bowed showily and she handed him a foam sword that some kid had apparently taken a few bites out of.

"Slay the dragon!" She ordered, plopping into a little plastic chair and watching him expectantly. Wow, she had quite an advanced vocabulary for her age- although he got the feeling that she had mostly memorised the words from some book of fairytales.

"Yes, Princess." He said reverently, moving to stand on his knees, and raised his sword toward Mister Kyle. The bear was sitting all by its lonesome on the floor, glass eyes seeming to be fixed on Steve. "Mister Dragon, you will release the princess or I will slay thee!" A few months ago, Steve would never have played along so vehemently with a child's pretend play- especially with a woman, little more than an acquaintance, watching. But every time he looked at that little chubby face with the big blue eyes and the dimpled cheeks, framed by little black ringlets, he was reminded that his present self was utterly wrapped around Selina's tiny little finger.

"Save me, Knight Steve!" Selina cried dramatically from her plastic throne. Steve chuckled and jabbed the edge of the foam sword into the bear's fat belly, making it fall over.

"I have defeated the beast, my lady." Steve declared victoriously. Selina squealed and ran over, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"My hero!" She cried. Steve smiled and hugged her back, never wanting to let go.

* * *

Arriving at Stark's had been entertaining; Chloe looked like she was going to pass out from excitement. At that, Nat decided to _not_ tell her how they knew each other- not that the teenager asked. In her surprised, speechless state, Chloe was easy to maneuver. All Nat had to do was make sure she didn't walk into walls as she aimlessly followed.

Chloe had found her voice rather quickly when Pepper walked into the room and she listed a few facts about her. Who knew that Chloe would be a bigger fan of Pepper than Iron Man? It was rather amusing.

"How is it- running a business?" Chloe inquired, looking directly at Pepper.

Pepper smiled; Nat could see that she wasn't really keen on talking about work on her day off, but she replied anyway. "It's a lot of hard work; the key is organisation and making sure that Tony doesn't mess anything up."

Natasha slowed to walk with Wanda as they headed to the mall that Pepper had selected. "How are you?"

Wanda ran a hand along the top of her very large belly. "Baby thinks Mommy's kidneys are soccer balls." She groaned, though a fond smile pulled at her mouth.

"That's one thing that makes me glad I didn't have to carry a child in my womb to have one." Natasha replied thankfully, but still feeling a tad envious. "Have you got much for her?"

"Um… well, we have a crib now, and we have some burp rags and washcloths, but the rest I'm here to get today." Wanda answered, pulling her purse strap further up on her shoulder. "What about your girl?" She gestured to Chloe as she walked ahead of them with Pepper.

Natasha looked up at the teenager who was participating in a deep conversation. "Well, Steve and I are only fostering Chloe, and we've been advised to not get her too many personal belongings, because if she has to go back or needs to be moved for any reason, it'll be a lot of travelling and they generally can only take one or two bags. So we'll be getting necessities, such as hygiene products, along with bedding and towels. And then a handful of new clothes and shoes for now." She paused, wondering if that made sense. "But I need to stop for Selina's room, too- her bedding, towels, et cetera… if she comes with the same amount of things as Chloe, she'll also need some new clothes and shoes."

Wanda shot her a befuddled look. "Selina? Who's Selina?"

A smile tugged at Natasha's lips, although she was a little shocked at not having mentioned it to anybody. "Steve and I are adopting a little girl. She's five and _so_ precious."

"Really? That's… that's amazing! Congratulations!" Wanda exclaimed genuinely. "Tell me about her!"

"Wait, hold up. You're adopting?" Pepper broke in, having abruptly stopped walking until Natasha and Wanda reached her and Chloe. "Because if you are, you're listing me as her godmother." She said sternly, hands on her hips.

"I hadn't even considered godparents." She admitted. To be honest with herself, she'd never imagined that anything would happen to her and Steve, which, now that she was thinking about it, was one of the stupidest things she had ever assumed. "How many godparents is a child supposed to have?" She asked. She wasn't about to tell Pepper she could be a godmother, as she would want Clint and Laura to be godparents for sure.

"Well… I'm not sure. I mean, I guess you could have backup godparents in case something happens to the original godparents… But I doubt it's illegal to have more than the traditional two." Pepper replied thoughtfully as they started walking again.

"And even if they're not legally named as the godparents, they can still be honorary godparents." Wanda chipped in. "It's not like anything would happen to you and Steve, so the title doesn't bear too much work."

Natasha nodded, thankful the subject was brought up. "Well, then. You can be an honorary godmother to Selina." She looked up and noticed that Chloe was silent during this conversation. "Where are we going first?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Well, I was thinking maybe a baby clothes shop so we can get that out of the way." Pepper inputted.

Wanda nodded in agreement. "I think that might take the longest, so we should get that done sooner. And while Pepper and I do that, you could take Chloe to get some clothes for her."

Natasha nodded. "Good plan; that way we don't have to be here all day."

"I don't need anything." Chloe interjected.

"You are currently using shower gel I bought for my best friend… who is a mid-forties _man_." Natasha pointed out. "Yes, you do."

"Perfect! We'll meet back here in… an hour? Actually, let's make it two." Pepper decided.

"Two _hours_? How long does it take you to shop? I could be in and out in ten minutes!" Natasha replied, almost regretting agreeing to this. "An hour and a half." She negotiated.

Pepper sighed. "Fine. But you're not rushing this- your daughter needs good clothes."

"And you have too much time on your hands. Come on, Chloe, how about we start with your bathroom?" Natasha suggested, guiding the teen in the opposite direction- if she'd known they were going to split up when shopping _together_ , she would have just come with Chloe. They walked into the store that specialised in bath and shower products. "So, what did you want?"

"Well…" Chloe looked around at the rows upon rows of bath supplies. "Um… I guess I'd need shampoo, and…. Deodorant, since mine's basically gone… And a toothbrush and toothpaste."

Natasha picked up a basket and started walking around the store. She threw in one of the expensive toothbrushes for Chloe, and then a smaller one for Selina, and then grabbed some toothpastes for the both of them. Taking another step, she also picked up some mouthwash. "Just throw what you want in. Which shampoo?" She asked her- everybody used different shampoos.

Chloe shyly ducked her head. "I have really thick hair, so I'm supposed to be using some sort of overpriced fancy stuff, but the foster homes usually just go with… this." She pulled a bottle of cheap shampoo from the shelf, showing the label advertising its generic care for all hair types and its new scentless design.

"Overpriced fancy stuff for thick hair it is." Natasha replied, walking down the aisle and looking at the labels. "Ah, here we go." She muttered, seeing one for thick hair. Upon seeing that there were three different scents, she grabbed one of each, and then their matching conditioners. "How about you go and grab your deodorant and any other supplies, and I'll grab a few things too." She said, upon realising that Chloe was only going to ask for the bare minimum.

"Okay." Chloe agreed, craning her head to read the signs and locate the correct aisle.

Natasha actually wandered around the store, filling the basket with items for both Selina and Chloe. When she got to the makeup section, she only grabbed a few things, including some nail varnishes-she had never seen the appeal, but most people did. She glared at the basket when it became overfilled with items, daring it to drop something, before meeting back up with Chloe, seeing a single stick of deodorant in her hand.

"I didn't know if you wanted me to grab anything else, so I thought I'd wait for you." Chloe explained meekly.

"Did you need anything else?" Natasha asked simply with a soft smile. "Like hairties?" She suggested, seeing them behind Chloe and knowing she hadn't picked any up- or owned any, either.

"I… Yeah, I guess so." Chloe relented as she placed the deodorant in the basket.

Natasha held back a sigh; she was going to have to make sure she picked up anything Chloe might actually need, because it was obvious Chloe wouldn't. "Great. Grab two packs, then- they're behind you. I think that's all from this shop."

Chloe did as told, clearly eyeing the items that had piled up in the basket. "Are you… I mean, this seems too expensive. Are you sure we need to get all these expensive brands? I'm fine with the cheap stuff- I'm used to it."

"Things are going to be very different with Steve and I than what you're used to." Natasha pointed out. "I won't buy anything I don't want to, and I want to buy all of these expensive brands." She said simply, walking to the checkout.

"Oh… okay. Thank you." Chloe said, falling into step behind her.

Natasha hoisted the basket up and rested it on her hip. "Things have been pretty fast the last couple of days, and that can't have been easy for you. How are you coping?"

Chloe seemed surprised at the sudden topic change, so it took her a moment to answer. "I'm fine, I guess. You and Steve are great, and I love living with you."

"How do you feel about Selina coming later this week?" Natasha asked. They hadn't really had a proper conversation about the adoption of Selina with anybody, even Chloe. So much had been happening that it hadn't seemed necessary to add more drama to the situations.

"Oh, um, I think it'll be cool." Chloe replied, helping her load the items onto the belt. "I mean, I don't actually know what she's like yet, but I'm sure she's sweet."

Natasha nodded, not really knowing what else to say on the subject, but feeling like they should talk about this- it was a big change for Chloe. Firstly, she was involved in a court case, and secondly, she's just moved foster homes, again, and now with her foster parents actually adopting another child- a younger girl, no less- it could bring up old feelings. But how does one have that conversation? "I think it might be a good idea for you and Selina to meet before she comes home. Would you like that?"

Chloe met her eyes for a split second before avoiding eye contact. "Yeah, sure." She looked like she wanted to say something more, but she kept gazing at the fat cashier, as if he was preventing her from speaking.

"Chloe, talk to me." Natasha said softly, glad it came out more as a suggestion than as an order.

Chloe bit her lip. "Well… I want to like her, but… she's your kid, while I'm just… temporary. It's like when my second foster mother had a baby while I was there. I'm replaceable. I'm not real." She admitted quietly.

"You are _very_ real." Natasha replied firmly, but that even sounded weird to her. "I understand that it must be hard for you- being a girl of your age makes you less likely to be adopted. But remember this- Steve and I had already done all of the paperwork for Selina when we decided to foster you. Therefore, we're not replacing you with her; we want both of you in our household. We _want_ to help."

Chloe seemed to perk up a little at this, as though that had been exactly what she needed to hear. "Really? I mean… Thank you, Natasha. I really do appreciate all you and Steve are doing to help me. It's more than anyone other than my social worker has ever done for me."

Natasha gave her a half hug. "You're very welcome." She replied sincerely. "Now, after this store, how about we hit some clothing stores?"

"Alright." Chloe agreed, helping her carry a few of the bags.

* * *

Steve made his way into Tony's lounge area, where Stark was already waiting with Bucky. "Sorry I'm late- I was just having a conversation with the social worker and lost track of time." He apologised, setting down the beer he'd brought.

"Oooh, is she hot?" Tony questioned.

"Not your type, Stark. Married- as are you." Steve retorted as he sat on the couch beside Bucky.

"Hey, Steve." Bucky greeted with a smile.

"Hey, Buck." Steve turned back to Tony. "So… what're we supposed to be talking about?"

"Well, we were talking about our ladies, so feel free to join in." Tony replied, picking up his glass and sipping his whiskey.

"Well… Natasha is the same as ever- still awesome and still a badass." Steve informed with a smirk. "How about Pepper? And Maria?"

Tony and Bucky exchanged a glance. "Not _those_ details, old man." Tony replied with a scoff. "C'mon, Steve, what's the redhead _really_ like?"

"Dude, have you not met Natasha? You know what she's like." Steve shot back, not liking what Tony was most likely meaning. "Hard-headed, independent, and just generally a badass."

Tony rolled his eyes. " _Suurrree_. How'd things go with the social worker? You still adopting that girl?"

"Selina? Yep." Steve answered with a smile. "I was actually just visiting her- we played knights and dragons." Bucky smiled at this.

"She sounds very sweet." He commented.

"She really is. You guys'll love her."

Taking another sip of his drink, Tony leant forward. "You're going to be a father- by choice."

"Um… yes?" Steve replied questioningly. Where could this possibly be going?

"Bold." Tony commented as he leant back.

"What's bold?" Pepper interjected as she and the other girls entered, arms laden with plenty of shopping bags.

Steve was about to answer her, but was beaten to the point."That Steve and Natasha are going to be parents by choice." Bucky helpfully supplied. Pepper raised a brow at her husband.

Tony stood up. "I meant adopting. Taking in a kid you don't know; they could be nutters for all you know."

"Stark!" Natasha said warningly.

"Oh _sh-_ that's one. That Selina?"

"Chloe." Natasha corrected.

Tony threw on his usual smile. "Hello, Chloe. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, uh… Nice to meet you, too." Chloe answered. "Hi, Steve." She greeted her foster father. Steve smiled genuinely and waved them over.

"Hey, Chloe. Did you guys get everything you need?" He asked them.

Natasha nodded. "Yes, both Chloe and Selina now have a range of clothes and supplies."

"Great!" Steve replied with genuine excitement.

Maria picked up a bag. "I should probably head off."

"You literally just got here- you have to stay for a drink, at least." Bucky urged.

Maria looked torn for a second before nodding and placing her bag down. "Fine, ten minutes." She agreed.

That ten minutes turned into a few hours, as did everybody else's ten minutes.

* * *

By the time that the three of them got home, Chloe was almost falling asleep, following them aimlessly. Natasha nudged Steve as she leant closer. "Do you think she'd notice the shelves?" She whispered, unsure if, in Chloe's current state of tiredness, she would notice the shelves that Steve had put up whilst they were out.

Steve glanced discreetly at Chloe and a soft smile tugged at his lips. "Well, even if she doesn't, I'm sure she'll notice tomorrow." He addressed the girl directly. "Go ahead and get to bed, Zombie."

"'Night." Chloe muttered with a smile at them both. "Thank you." She added before walking up the stairs and into her room.

When all they received was silence, they headed up themselves into their own room. "She's a late sleeper, so at least there's no chance of her waking us up."

"Thank God for that." Steve replied, sounding just as tired as Chloe had. He drowsily slipped into his pajamas and then into bed, yawning at least ten times in the process. "That party seemed to last at least two years."

Natasha rolled her eyes as she slipped in beside him. "I thought you didn't get tired, Mr I'm-A-Super-Soldier." She teased. "I dread to think how tired you'd be after running around after Selina all day."

Steve groaned, but it sounded indignant. "I _did_ run around after Selina for most of the day." He pointed out. "It was that friendly get-together that wore me out."

"And here I was hoping you'd have enough energy for a little bit of fun." Natasha sighed playfully as she laid down.

Steve seemed to wake up pretty quickly at that. "Who said anything about not having enough energy?" He questioned, rolling over and kissing her within a second. One hand slipped over to her waist. "It's not like I'm tired." He teased as he pulled back slightly.

"Tired? I never implied that you were tired." Natasha responded before pulling him back to her- the time for talking was definitely over.

* * *

Steve paced around the bedroom as he tended to do when he _really_ needed to think. This was one such time. He'd gotten in touch with Matt and Tommy's social worker and the man had promised to keep him updated on what went on with the two boys. Steve had checked his email just an hour earlier to find a message from the social worker, informing him that Tommy and Matt had been successfully put in a foster home together. What worried him was that the man had made a point of saying that their being together was technically only temporary, as they could still be adopted separately. He couldn't let that happen to those two, not when they were the only ones left of their family.

After another half-hour of restless pacing, Steve sought out Natasha, who was having a casual conversation with Chloe in the living room. "Nat, a word?" He summoned from the doorway.

Natasha glanced up at him. "I'll be right back." She said softly to Chloe before standing up and walking over to him. "Yes?"

Steve ran a hand through his hair. "Tommy and Matt still might be broken up. They're in a foster home together right now, but they could still be adopted separately." He explained, worry in the pit of his stomach.

"I know. It took a lot of strings for me to get them put together right now. Unless you can convince Tony to adopt them together, there's nothing else I can think of that we can do."

Steve's gut lurched as he took a breath and spat out the only idea he could come up with that would fix the situation. "We should adopt them both." He watched her closely to see her reaction.

Natasha expression drifted into one of disbelief and annoyance as she sighed. "No. We can't adopt them, Steve. We can't just adopt every child we see- that's not how it works."

Steve groaned. "Well how else are we supposed to help them?" He asked frustratedly. "If we don't do something, odds are they'll be separated _again_!"

"Then they'll be separated! It's not our job to make sure they're together. Do you know how many children are in foster care? How many children do not have a home? How many siblings are separated?" Natasha questioned. "Hundreds? _Thousands_? And that's just in the US. We can't help every child, and we certainly can't adopt them all." She paused, but not long enough for him to get a word in. "We are adopting Selina tomorrow, and it's now our _duty_ to make sure she is cared for. The same with Chloe. That's two of them and two of us. Before we even consider taking on another child- or two- we need to make sure we can provide everything Chloe and Selina need. Otherwise it's not fair to them, or to the boys."

Steve sighed; she was right. Levelheaded and logical as always, while he was letting his compulsion to help get in the way of what Matt and Tommy- and Selina and Chloe- truly needed. "You're right." He conceded, scrubbing a hand over his face. "But we have to do something, okay? I know it happens to lots of kids, but why does that mean we can't make a difference in the lives of two of them?"

"Because… I don't know _how_!" Natasha admitted, a deep sigh leaving her. "You can't threaten somebody to adopt two children- if you could, then I'd do it in a heartbeat. But it doesn't work that way."

"Then we could…" Steve trailed off, lost in thought as he wracked his brain for a solution to this mess. What could they do to help two boys who could easily be separated just so they could be adopted? Steve almost did a frantically happy dance when he suddenly remembered- he'd met a couple while they were visiting orphanages a few weeks back. They were an older couple, and they'd briefly explained that they were looking for a child to adopt since all of their own children had moved out. They weren't looking for a child to replace ones they couldn't have- they were looking for a life that they could improve and nurture now that they had the space and time to do so. He thanked his lucky stars that they had all agreed to exchanged phone numbers for future possible playdates. Steve hurriedly relayed this to Natasha, looking at her expectantly after he'd finished.

She smiled. "Looks like you might have found a solution. Give them a call, see what they say and let me know." Natasha said, placing a hand on his arm before walking back into room where Chloe was patiently waiting.

Hope renewed, Steve headed back to the bedroom to grab his phone.

* * *

 **Thank you!**


	34. And they lived happily-

**Author's note:**

 **I have six amazing individuals to thank up it, and that is those who reviewed the last chapter: RomanogerLaucifer; Javie-1998; Moustache1234; Amy Hamato; Princess2016; LilyRose14.**

 **I'm going to watch Captain America: civil War in ten hours! Don't worry, I won't post any spoilers, or any stories about CW until after it comes out in America at least!**

* * *

Steve glanced toward the back seat, where Chloe was staring out the window as the city's scenery passed them by. "You excited, Chloe?" He asked, making the turn into the orphanage's parking lot. She didn't answer him right away, making him look to Nat slightly worriedly. Should they break out the 'no new baby will make us forget you' speech most parents in normal families had to give? What would Chloe respond to? What was the exact problem, anyway? He decided to make sure she'd even heard him the first time. "Chloe? You okay?"

"Hmm?" Chloe hummed, looking up at him. "Oh, sorry. I wasn't listening." She admitted slightly sheepishly. "Are we here?" She asked, although she didn't look happy, nor excited, to be here.

Steve parked the car. "Yep, we're here. You ready?" He tried rephrasing the question. Although he was relieved, her response was still worrying him a little. He felt like he was being overly paranoid, but didn't necessarily care. A lot was riding on this going well.

Chloe nodded. "I guess."

Natasha sent him a glance before stepping out of the car, followed by Chloe.

They navigated the halls of the orphanage with practiced ease until they met with Julia Tanking, who shook their hands eagerly. "And is this Miss Chloe? The girl I've been hearing so much about?" She asked cheerily, extending a hand to the teen.

Chloe shook the woman's hand with absolute silence, although she did offer a smile.

"She's acting like me without the glaring and threats." Natasha whispered to Steve.

Steve couldn't help but agree- it was unsettling, actually. "Yes, this is her. She's a little anxious about this whole ordeal." He answered the social worker apologetically. The woman waved it off understandingly.

"Oh, it's all fine! Take things at your own pace, sweetheart." She assured the girl before turning and leading them to the meeting room where Selina was, as usual, waiting for them.

"Natasha! Steve!" Selina cried immediately upon seeing them, dropping the armload of toys she held and sprinting over to them. "Hi!"

Steve smiled widely and knelt down with Natasha to give the girl a big hug. "Hey, Selina! How've you been?"

Selina pulled back and flashed them a gap-tooth smile. "Goooood!" She chirped. Her gaze flickered to Chloe, who was standing back a ways, and her little brows furrowed. "Who're you?" She asked, pointing at the older girl.

"I'm Chloe." She replied softly with a smile. "I live with Steve and Natasha."

"You… do?" Selina asked in a breath, cocking her head so her pigtails bounced. Then her eyes widened. "Oh." She didn't add anything more, though her shoulders seemed to slouch a little. "Hi."

Natasha looked up at Chloe and then to Selina. "We thought you two would like to meet before you came back home with us. Is that okay?" She asked Selina.

The young girl nodded. "I'm still coming home with you?" She asked with a smile.

"Of course you are!" Natasha replied with enthusiasm, receiving a hug in reply. "In two days." She added.

"How long is that?"

"Two bedtimes away." Chloe answered as she took a seat on one of the chairs.

Selina nodded understandingly. "Okay! I can wait that long!"

"So, Selina, why don't you tell Chloe a little bit about yourself so you two can get to know each other better?" Steve offered, watching as the girl giggled nervously, chubby hands twisting in her skirt.

"Um… I like puppies, and I… oh! I like to play princesses and other games!" Selina said eagerly. "What do _you_ like to play?"

Chloe looked thoughtfully for a few moments. "I love puppies and playing games, too. Although my favourite thing to do is reading." Selina pulled a face that Steve honestly found adorable.

"Reading? I like reading too, but it's not my _favourite!"_ She replied. "Do you like dancing?" As if to make sure Chloe understood what dancing was, Selina did a little twirl, pink skirt fanning out around her.

Chloe nodded and stood up. "Of course! What's your favourite dance?" She asked.

Natasha stood by Steve's side, watching silently.

Selina paused, tapping her chin in an imitation of what Steve had seen Julia do when she was deep in thought. "Uh… the Selina Dance!" She declared, twirling again and giggling. "It's my own secret dance!" Steve smiled as he and Natasha settled into a set of chairs off to the side where they could watch the proceedings without interrupting.

"Oooh, can you teach it to me?" Chloe asked with enthusiasm, doing a twirl and a curtsy.

Selina's face, already pulled into her usual dimpled smile, lit up with excitement and she nodded eagerly. "Sure! You put your arms like this…" She held her arms up over her head and forming an acute angle, sticking her tongue out in concentration. "Then you move your feet like this…" The dance lesson continued for several more minutes until Selina announced that Chloe had graduated her school of dance. "That was _fun_!" She cried, running forward and latching onto Chloe's wrist. "We're gonna be living together, right? With Steve and Natasha?" Her puppy dog eyes were on full power.

"We are- I'm excited. I can teach you some ballet when we get there." Chloe offered.

That warmed Steve's heart, as the tone of Chloe's voice seemed sincere as she spoke of her excitement of living with Selina. The little girl spun happily and squealed, wrapping her arms around Chloe's legs. "Yay! I can't wait!" She exclaimed. "I've never had a big sister like you before!"

Natasha looked at Steve. "There wasn't anything in Chloe's records about knowing ballet." She commented quietly.

Chloe ruffled Selina's hair. "No problem, kid."

Steve leant closer to Natasha. "Weird." He replied distractedly. "Hey, it seems like they're really hitting it off." He whispered, a smile pulling at his mouth.

Selina looked up at Chloe thoughtfully. "Can I call you Chlo? Or E? Or Cece?" She asked randomly.

"Chlo, or E is fine with me." Chloe replied. "Can I call you… Selly?"

"Selly…" Selina trailed off, looking almost awed. "None of my other families gave me nicknames! I mean, Julia has, and my friends call me Sel, but this is different!" She said, glee leaking from every pore. "I like it! Selly, Selly, Sellyyy!"

Chloe smiled. "Well, Selly. What else do you want to do today?"

Selina chewed her lip in thought before answering. "Can we play a game? Pretty please?"

"Of course we can." Chloe agreed.

Steve and Natasha watched for almost an hour as the girls went from game to game, from hide and seek to tag to a made-up card game, both getting increasingly submersed in their play, seeming to forget that there were other people in the room besides each other. By the time Selina had beaten Chloe at yet another round of Go Fish, the little girl looked completely tuckered out after the extensive exercise she'd gotten playing with her new sister. Steve and Nat shared a nod and stood. "Alright, girls, I think it's time to say goodbye for today." He said regretfully.

"Nooo! Chloe needs to stay!" Selina protested, though it was rather weak as she seemed ready to fall asleep at any moment. Julia walked over and helped the girl down from her chair, ushering her over to the group as Chloe rejoined her foster parents.

"C'mon, Selina, let's say goodbye so you can go relax." She advised.

Selina rubbed at her eye. "Bye, Chlo." She said.

"Goodbye, Selly." She replied, bending down to hug the young girl.

Steve and Natasha gave Selina a quick hug before she was shepherded off and they returned to their car. As they were leaving the parking lot, Steve caught Chloe's eyes in the rearview mirror. "So, what did you think?"

"She'll make a perfect addition to your family." Chloe replied. "She's a great little girl."

" _Our_ family. You're a part of it too." Steve was quick to correct her. "And yes, she is. I think you two will get along perfectly."

Chloe shook her head and looked out the window, not replying to him anymore. Natasha turned to look at her before looking at Steve and smiling softly. "Leave her be."

He just nodded and continued the drive home, eager for what the next few days would bring.

* * *

Natasha examined the dress Chloe had picked out for Selina and smiled even more than she was before, hanging it up in the wardrobe. She was taking her time organising Selina's room with the small selection of items she had brought. She had brought a little of everything- they didn't know for sure what the little girl was interested in.

She bent down and lifted the last hangable item, wishing she had brought more, as the wardrobe wasn't even a quarter full. Nevertheless, she closed it and moved over to the dresser for the jeans, trousers, leggings, pyjamas, underwear, vests and casual tops.

Suddenly Steve was in the doorway, looking excited. "They got adopted." He said simply, smiling widely. "Matt and Tommy."

Natasha took less than a second to process what he was saying before smiling. "Really? That couple you were talking about adopted them?" She asked, leaving the clothes neatly in the bag for now and approaching him.

He nodded. "Once they heard their story, they were agreeing before I even asked if they wanted to adopt them." His smile grew. "And they just got approved today."

"That's great, Steve." Natasha replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his lips. "I can already imagine their happy little faces."

"You don't have to imagine. We got talking, and because Selina and Matt are only a year apart in age, we're planning on setting up a playdate." Steve informed her.

"Really?" Natasha asked. Setting up playdates with people they knew, or had time to research before hand, was very beneficial. Especially because of who they are- eventually they will be recognised and they needed to trust who they let around their home. "That sounds perfect." She replied properly, pulling him back in for another kiss.

* * *

Steve sighed and adjusted his grip on his briefcase- it was mostly for show, only containing a few blank sheets of paper. He turned back to Chloe, who was hovering in the doorway. "Natasha and I will be back in a few hours- just need to fix up some things at work before we take Selina home." He reminded her, unexplainably nervous. What was taking Natasha so long? Every extra minute they remained was one more crack in Steve's resolve; he really didn't want to leave Chloe, at least not so soon after taking her home. "Behave yourself and don't cause Wanda any stress, okay?"

"You know, Steve, I'm _fifteen_. I don't need a babysitter." Chloe commented with an innocent smile. "It's really pointless making her come here."

Steve rolled his eyes, recalling all too well how fiercely independent he insisted he was at the tender age of fifteen. "What if something were to happen while we're away? It's always better to have an adult on hand that can help handle emergency situations." That might have been slightly recited from one of the parenting books he'd read months back, but there was no other way he could think of to explain that, even pregnant, Wanda was more than capable of protecting their foster daughter from harm- Chloe didn't know about her powers, after all.

"And what is Wanda goes into labour? I don't know anything about that! What if _she_ gets hurt?" Chloe countered, before continuing. "If something _did_ go wrong, Wanda is pregnant- how can she help? I'd rather get hurt than let her get hurt."

Steve set his briefcase down and looked at Chloe sternly as he re-tied his tie; it had been a long time since he'd needed to wear one. "Chloe, Wanda is a very capable woman- very levelheaded. She doesn't freeze up when something happens, meaning her reaction times are quicker. Even if she's only capable of calling 911, you can bet it'll be done within seconds." Wanda _was_ quick to react, although her reactions to danger would probably be more of the 'powers' variety. "Also, she's not due for several weeks, and we wouldn't be gone long enough for her to get through the whole labour process in our absence, anyway." He added.

Chloe sighed, obviously knowing she wouldn't win this debate. "Just saying, I can take care of myself."

Steve didn't have chance to respond as there was a knock at the door.

"Steve, can you get that?" Natasha called down the stairs.

"Yep!" Steve replied, already unlocking the door. He pulled it open to reveal Wanda, who was standing slightly awkwardly with her hands under her huge stomach. "Hey, Wanda. Come on in, take a seat." He said kindly, ushering her inside and taking her coat.

"Hello, Chloe." Wanda said as she made her way to the living room. "I hope you weren't planning on doing gymnastics today." She joked as she slowly lowered herself into a chair.

Chloe laughed. "Not today, Wanda. Did you want anything to drink?" She asked kindly.

"Um… some water would be nice, thank you." Wanda replied, absentmindedly rubbing her belly. "These days just _walking_ is a tiring affair."

Chloe turned to face Steve. "Are you sure _she's_ babysitting _me_? It looks like I'll be looking after her." She whispered, completely unamused by that idea as she walked into the kitchen. Even her walk seemed more deflated than usual.

Natasha chose that moment to descend the stairs, wearing a normal work dress, one she'd worn when undercover at Stark Industries. "Are we ready to go?" She asked Steve.

Steve glanced back at Wanda and then at Chloe before sighing and nodding. "Yep, let's go."

"You two behave- no throwing any parties!" Natasha called to them before slipping silently out of the front door.

After one more sweep of the room as though he would find some sort of threat that would force them to stay- and finding none- Steve bid the two goodbye and left.

* * *

Natasha changed into her workout clothes before they even arrived at the base; she'd had a lot of experience changing in cars. It was a bonus that she wasn't driving whilst changing this time, as that always proved to be more difficult. She and Steve hadn't even been on the base long before making their way into one of the gyms- they needed a really good work out. It seemed that, in the last few weeks, they were so busy focusing on the adoption that they let their training slide, and that was one thing that Natasha was not okay with.

Deciding to only train singly for an hour, they met each other on the mats. "You ready to go down?" She asked Steve challengingly, her lips turning upwards. Oh, how she had missed this.

Steve smirked. "Only if you're ready to go down harder." He shot back, getting into a fighting stance. When he didn't move right away, she knew he was waiting for her to make the first move.

Not wanting to stand around waiting, like she had done several times before, she sprung forward, instantly sliding down and tackling his legs.

Steve intercepted her, hand shooting down to latch onto her arm, pulling her up again and then letting go, sending a punch her way a split second later.

She pushed her legs quickly, jumping up and sliding around his body, using the force of his punch to move herself. Landing on the other side of him, she kissed his cheek before digging her heel into the back of his knees.

Steve went down with a grunt before flipping around and sweeping his leg at her feet, which she jumped over. But, anticipating her landing, he slipped his legs out and knocked her feet from under her before she had chance to even land. He then launched forward and caught her in a headlock, pressing a kiss to her temple with a chuckle.

Natasha's foot connected with his back, between the shoulders, before she pulled his fingers back and released herself from his hold. "Headlock? Really?" She questioned, releasing his fingers.

Steve shrugged. "Was worth a shot." He said with a small smile. Then he ran forward, sending a kick toward her ribcage at dizzying speeds.

She threw herself backwards to avoid it, watching him land gracefully, and smirked. "Hold on, you two." She said, stepping off the mat to show a timeout and turning to face Rhodey and Sam, who looked like they were sneaking out of the room. "Weren't you two supposed to start training at nine this morning? It's quarter to ten."

Rhodey muttered several curses while Sam tried to talk his way out of it. "Well, we were _going_ to, but, uh, Rhodey here… got scared about the baby! And I was giving him this top-notch inspirational speech, but we lost track of time, so…" Rhodey elbowed his friend.

"Why come in here at all if you guys were just gonna sneak out again?" Steve cut in, still in a fighting stance and watching Natasha warily.

Rhodey rubbed the back of his head. "Well, uh, you two seemed busy, so we were gonna come back later…"

"Don't be ridiculous. Come on, we'll go two against two." Natasha replied, holding back her smirk as she stepped back onto the mat. "I presume you both are warmed up after your scheduled run this morning?" She asked, daring them to admit that they hadn't done that either.

"Oh yeah! Yeah, we're _totally_ warmed up… because of the… run." Sam said unconvincingly. Rhodey just looked nervous.

Natasha looked at Steve. "Did you hear that? They're _totally_ warmed up! In that case, maybe you and I should team up against them?" She suggested, turning back to glance at them. "What do you think, hun?"

Steve's smile was absolutely evil. "I think that sounds _delightful_ , darling!" He replied.

"Oh, uh, maybe we could do one-on-one? I take Sam, you two continue your… sparring?" Rhodey suggested. "We wouldn't want to interrupt your session."

"Don't be ridiculous, Rhodey. Steve and I have our own gym in our basement at home. We can spar anytime. We came down here today to help you both train." Natasha said in a voice so soft that it actually sounded completely genuine. And, technically, she was genuine- the reason she and Steve had come here was to make sure everything at the base was going well.

Sam sighed in defeat and he and Rhodey trudged over to the mats after depositing their extra things on the bench. "But take it easy on us, okay? You two get insane when you fight together."

Steve smirked and took his place beside Natasha. "No promises."

"Man, don't say stuff like that! Now I _know_ we're gonna lose!" Rhodey protested.

Natasha laughed. "Go take five laps around the base and be back within thirty minutes. Then we'll get started on some real training, alright?" She said.

Rhodey and Sam groaned almost simultaneously but went to follow her instructions. Steve turned to Natasha, smirk still in place.

"Good to be back?"

Natasha nodded. "Definitely."

* * *

Steve was literally shaking- it was pretty minuscule, sure, but it was there- with excitement as they walked through the front doors of the orphanage for hopefully the last time. Natasha and Chloe were right beside him as they navigated the halls, passing dozens of doors before reaching the one they were looking for. The meeting room, where they'd spent hours bonding with their new daughter and sister. Julia had told them that Selina would be packed up and ready when they came for her. With renewed enthusiasm, Steve pushed the door open and held it for the girls.

Selina let out a long, high-pitched, ecstatic squeal that almost hurt his ears, and then a little projectile was slamming into his legs. "Hi, Selina!" He exclaimed happily, pulling her into his arms.

"You're here! You're here!" Selina cried, wriggling in his arms until he transferred her to Natasha, who she'd been reaching for. The girl wrapped her arms around Natasha's neck. "You're here to take me home!"

"You bet we are!" Natasha replied with enthusiasm as she returned the hug tightly. "Are you all ready?"

Selina giggled. "I am!" She said gleefully, gesturing vaguely to a little suitcase by Julia's feet.

"Hey, Selly." Chloe said, giving a little wave to the girl.

Natasha was ready to hand Selina over, but the young girl simply waved back. "Hi, E!" She replied eagerly.

Natasha set the girl down on her feet. "Have you said goodbye to Julia yet?"

Selina's smile faltered as she turned back to Julia. "I… yeah, but…" Her voice was starting to waver. Julia quickly stepped forward and hugged her.

"It's okay, Sel, we'll see each other soon." She assured, shooting Steve and Natasha apologetic looks over the girl's head. "Now, you go and be happy with your new family, okay?" Selina nodded and detached, going back over to her new parents.

"Hey, Selina, have we told you about your new room yet?" Steve asked, trying to distract the girl and keep this occasion as happy as possible. She perked up.

"What's it like?" She asked eagerly.

"Well, the walls are still white, but you can pick what colour we paint them. There's a nice big bed just for you, and we got you a dresser full of some new clothes, too." Natasha explained. Selina laughed excitedly.

"I get my own room? This is awesome!" She cried, jumping gleefully and making Steve chuckle.

Chloe nodded. "It looks pretty cool. I think you'll like it."

Natasha looked at Steve, silently asking if they could leave yet.

Steve sighed as he realised it really was time for them to get going. "Alright, well, we'd better head out if you want lots of time to explore our house." He said. Selina nodded, shoulders drooping a little, before she quickly grabbed her suitcase. "Want me to carry that for you?" He asked her when she almost tripped over it. She nodded and he took it from her, saddened by how light it was.

Julia accompanied them to the car and gave a small demonstration on how to buckle the girl into the new carseat they'd bought for her. Then she waved goodbye to Selina one last time and went back to the building.

"Hey, Selly. I brought a book with me- it's got lots of pictures. Want to read it with me?" Chloe asked, holding up the book for young children.

"Oh… yeah, okay." Selina agreed, leaning over to look at the pictures as Chloe began to quietly read the words. Steve and Natasha shared a look full of thousands of emotions before he steered the car out of the parking lot and began the drive home.

* * *

Natasha lifted Selina out of her seat and placed her on the ground, taking her hand. "Well, this is home." She stated, looking down at Selina as she started walking to the house with her. She sent a smile at Steve, glad he parked outside instead of the garage so Selina could see the whole house.

"It's so big!" Selina cried, eyes wide as saucers. Steve and Chloe came up behind them, Steve toting the tiny suitcase and smiling.

"And you live in it now." He said, chuckling when she made an awed noise.

Chloe walked ahead of them and then stood to one side. Natasha joined her, still holding Selina's hand, and unlocked the door, pushing it open. "In you go, sweetheart."

Selina took her first step into the house, ponytail swishing, her free hand twisted in the fabric of her shirt as she craned her head to look at everything she possibly could. "Woah…" She breathed, mouth practically hanging open. Then she broke into a new smile. "I can't believe I live here now! It's so nice!" A new skip in her step, she almost dragged Natasha into the kitchen to explore. "It's all so clean and shiny!"

When she stood on her tiptoes to try and get a better look at a picture on the wall, Steve suddenly swooped in behind her and picked her up, eliciting a surprised squeal. He showed her the picture- a generic floral field- and set her down again, her tiny shoes lighting up when they hit the floor. She giggled and continued throughout the house, her new family trailing behind. "That's a _TV_? It's so big!" She cried, stunned, when she reached the living room.

Natasha smiled fondly at Selina. The girl's reaction was completely pure and innocent and it warmed her own heart with joy. She took Steve's hand as she watched the girl and threw an arm around Chloe's shoulders. "Home sweet home."

 **And they lived happily ever after…**

 **Well, for three seconds.**

 _ **Ring ring!**_

Chloe's eyes followed Selina, a smile on her own lips at the wonder on the girl's face. She could already tell that Selina was going to love it here. When Natasha released her and walked out of the room, answering a phone call, she didn't think much of it; but when Steve followed suit, answering his own call, she had to wonder what exactly their job was. They had only gone into the office once while she was there, and she didn't actually know their hours.

Her eyes flicked to the clock- it was only three in the afternoon on a Saturday. Did they work Saturdays, too? Were they on call?

"Chloe, did you want to show Selina upstairs?" Natasha asked, turning her attention back to the caller before she had a chance to answer.

"Sure." She replied, turning to face the younger girl, who was still, very much so, in awe of everything.

Selina bounced over to her. "These carpets are _so_ squishy! I could sleep on them!"

Chloe smiled at her brightly. "You could! Want to see where you'll be sleeping?" She asked.

Selina jumped up and down. "Yeah! I mean- yes, please!"

"Come on, then!" Chloe replied, taking her hand and taking her upstairs. "This is my room." She told her as they poked their heads in. She then led her down the hall to the end room. "And this... is your room."

Selina stepped into the room, falling speechless as she slowly made a full circle. "All of this?" She questioned. It was obvious that she didn't quite believe it.

Chloe nodded. "It's real, and…" She drifted off as she heard Natasha's voice, slightly louder than it usually was. She stepped back and saw them both from over the bannister.

"What does Bucky have to do with Wanda being in labour?" Natasha asked as she grabbed the car keys.

"No, Nat. There's a warrant out for Bucky's arrest. Is Wanda at the base, too?" Steve asked. Who was Bucky? Wait, Wanda's in labour? Didn't Nat say she had a month or two left?

Natasha nodded. "Yeah, but you can't come."

Steve nearly looked outraged. "Excuse me? Why not?"

Natasha stared at him, unamused. "Having a child prematurely is more important at the moment. And we can't leave the kids alone."

Chloe looked down at Selina, who had followed her out and was looking at Steve and Nat with wide, worried and slightly watery eyes. She quickly bent down. "Come on, let's leave the adults to talk." She said, picking Selina up and carrying her into her room.

* * *

 **End of STORY!**

* * *

 **Message from _ThisVioletofMine:_ Hello, readers! I just wanted to say a big fat thank you to everyone who's been so kind as to read, review, favorite, or follow this story! You guys are the best- your support means to the world to me!**

* * *

 **My thank you message, sorry if it's long!: I want to thank each and every one of you, so I've decided to personally name everybody that has reviewed. I was going to name everybody who faved and followed the story, too, but, that's too many names.**

 **So, firstly, thank you EVERYBODY. This story wouldn't be here without each and every one of you, and I just hope that you all enjoyed it!**

 _ **RomanogerLaucifer:**_ **You were with us right from chapter one, and have reviewed most chapters! Your reviews always make me smile- you are so kind! Thank you.**

 _ **Supesfan18**_ **: Right from chapter one, you've been reviewing! Thank you for taking the time- I really appreciate it!**

 _ **Sportsfan64:**_ **It didn't take long for me to expect your reviews, they were usually one of the longest too! And for a while, you usually reviewed first! It was great to post and open up the first review to see your name! Thank you for being so consistent too! P.S. I love our chats on PM! I hope they don't end when this story does!**

 _ **Amy Hamato:**_ **Right from the beginning you were reviewing! I'm pretty sure you were one of the names I memorised first! Thank you so much for your support, suggestions and kind comments!**

 _ **Princess2016:**_ **Hello, you are really a princess to me! Not only do you review this story (And I'm pretty sure it's been all of the chapters), but you also review other chapters from other ongoing stories, and it is honestly amazing! Thank you!**

 _ **Sanctuaria:**_ **Well, you tried! I know you don't like Romanogers and you actually got further than I expected!**

 _ **Baibe:**_ **Hello! You reviewed the first chapter and then scattered chapters throughout, and it was lovely! The randomness made me smile even more sometimes, because I knew I did something right! Thank you!**

 _ **Grossly-sweet:**_ **Hey you! My idea guru! I'm not sure if you helped me on this story! But the fact that you review a lot of my stories too, is just the best present! Thank you!**

 _ **Javie-1998:**_ **You appeared slightly later in the game, but you definitely are memorable! Thank you so much for reviewing and really making me smile and feel appreciated!**

 _ **IndianSweetGirl:**_ **Your continued support and feedback has been the best kind of gift for writers like us! Thank you!**

 _ **LilyRose14:**_ **Thank you for showing me that there are people like you in this world. You have been so kind and lovely! Thanks!**

 _ **RollinWithCodineAndASwisha:**_ **Thank you much more, Than a greeting can say, Because you were thoughtful, In such a nice way!**

 _ **DENM:**_ **Thank you! You were one of the names on my mind when I was guessing who had reviewed!**

 _ **Chocolatelover2001**_ **: You appeared about midway into the story, and soon became a recognised name! Thank you very much for taking the time to review!**

 _ **Moustache123/1234:**_ **Well, where do I start with you? Not only did you make an account during the course of the story, but you became more active and one of my favourites (Shh, don't tell anybody!) Thank you!**

 _ **TheJollyRoger:**_ **Thank you is the least I can say to you to show my appreciation for your continued support and reviews! The fact that you don't have an account and have reviewed nearly every chapter really shows what a great person you are and I really appreciated it! I loved seeing your name for a review!**

 **To those who reviewed one chapter, or has recently began reviewing! Thank you very much for taking the time! The surprise of having a new person review a chapter is the biggest surprise and amazing! You really helped! So, shout out to you all:** _ **You'vereachedinactiveaccount; Maniac at Midnight; Vale1103; RukiaDeathKuchiki; KittyPryde93; Autiger94; Princessdes; Fightingangels2k; Maria. .jensen; Gundamseeddestiny; SP12122015; Bunnyidiot; MiyuTanuki; Jhessill; MiDGEt.x3; HeroPilot; RocketRaccoon15; MESPX13; Aalliyah 246; Qweb; LionAgron; Liliyxxx; Thespecctacledspectator; Sgthumes; FearlessRabbit.**_

 **I wanted to write a separate thank you to the guest reviewers! Even though you don't have an account, it means a great deal to me that you've reviewed! Especially when I see the same name re-occur! Because you didn't get reminders/notifications. Thank you!:** _ **Guest; Nat; NataliaRussianA; Guest; Steelers1; Guest; Steelers; Steelers; Dassa-chan; Guest; Romanogers95; Guest; SteelerGirl; Romaogers95; Nat; loveee; Romanogers95; Steelers; Nat; Nat; Guest; Steekers1; Guest; Steelers1; gwenfrewi72; Guest; Guest; Guest; Guest.**_

* * *

 **And well, this is the end. Goodbye!**


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